Spartina
Guides
Doryodes reineckei
A recently described moth species in the family Erebidae, known only from Spartina marshes along the US Gulf Coast from western Florida to eastern Texas. Described in 2015, it remains poorly known with only one iNaturalist observation recorded. The species is named in honor of USDA entomologist John P. Reinecke for his contributions to insect organ culture techniques and larval lepidopteran anatomy.
Languria taedata
lizard beetle
Languria taedata is a polymorphic lizard beetle species distributed along the eastern coast of North America. Adults are dark, elongate beetles measuring 9–11 mm. The species exhibits notable color variation, including a distinctive all-piceous form ('Form C') found primarily along the western Gulf Coast—the first such form documented in the genus. Larvae develop internally within stems of Spartina alterniflora, the smooth cordgrass.
Peoria gematella
Gemmed Cordgrass Borer
Peoria gematella, commonly known as the Gemmed Cordgrass Borer, is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae. The species is associated with cordgrass habitats, as indicated by its common name. As a member of the genus Peoria, it belongs to a group of small moths whose larvae are typically borers in plant stems or roots.
Philaenarcys spartina
Salt Marsh Spittlebug
Philaenarcys spartina is a spittlebug species in the family Aphrophoridae, first described by Hamilton in 1979. It is associated with salt marsh habitats, specifically with Spartina grasses, as indicated by its specific epithet. The species has been recorded in eastern Canada including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Québec. As a member of the spittlebug family, it likely produces characteristic frothy spittle masses as nymphs, though specific life history details remain poorly documented.
Photedes includens
Included Cordgrass Borer Moth, included cordgrass borer
Photedes includens, commonly known as the included cordgrass borer, is a species of cutworm or dart moth in the family Noctuidae. It is native to North America and has been recorded across Canada and the United States. The species is assigned MONA/Hodges number 9434. Like other members of the genus Photedes, it is associated with wetland habitats where its larval host plants occur.
Prokelisia
delphacid planthoppers
Prokelisia is a genus of delphacid planthoppers in the family Delphacidae, containing approximately five described species. The genus is best known for P. marginata, a salt marsh specialist that exhibits striking wing dimorphism with flightless brachypter and fully winged macropter forms. These planthoppers feed on Spartina cordgrasses and serve as hosts for diverse parasitoid communities including egg parasitoids (Anagrus spp.), nymphal parasitoids (Gonatopus, Neon), and adult parasitoids (Eurypteryx). The genus has become a model system for studying the evolution and maintenance of dispersal polymorphisms in heterogeneous environments.
Prokelisia carolae
Prokelisia carolae is a species of planthopper in the family Delphacidae, described by Wilson in 1982. It belongs to a genus of small, delicate planthoppers associated with salt marsh and coastal habitats. The species is part of the economically important group of planthoppers that includes vectors of plant pathogens.
Prokelisia marginata
Prokelisia marginata is a wing-dimorphic delphacid planthopper native to North American salt marshes, where it feeds on phloem sap of Spartina grasses. Populations contain two distinct adult forms: flightless brachypters and fully-winged macropters capable of dispersal flight. Wing-form is determined environmentally during nymphal development, primarily by crowding density and host plant quality, representing a conditional strategy that balances local reproduction against habitat tracking. The species has established invasive populations in Britain, where it exploits the introduced cordgrass Spartina anglica.
Spartidelphax
Spartidelphax is a genus of planthoppers in the family Delphacidae, established in 2014 to accommodate species associated with cordgrass (Spartina) in coastal salt marsh habitats. The genus was erected following taxonomic revision of the Delphacodes group, recognizing distinct morphological and ecological characteristics that separate it from related genera. Members are small, brachypterous or macropterous insects with the characteristic enlarged hind femora and movable spur on the hind tibia typical of delphacid planthoppers.
Uhlorchestia
beach hoppers
Uhlorchestia is a genus of talitrid amphipods endemic to salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of North America. The genus contains two described species: U. spartinophila and U. uhleri. These amphipods are closely associated with smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and function as detritivores in salt marsh ecosystems. Population studies indicate high turnover rates and year-round reproduction with seasonal peaks.