Spring-emergent
Guides
Andrena milwaukeensis
Milwaukee Mining Bee, Milwaukee Andrena
Andrena milwaukeensis is a solitary mining bee in the family Andrenidae, native to North America. It is a ground-nesting species that has been documented as the primary host for the parasitic strepsipteran Stylops advarians in Saskatchewan, Canada. Research on this host-parasite relationship has revealed significant anatomical and behavioral impacts of parasitism on female bees.
Basiaeschna
springtime darner
Basiaeschna is a monotypic genus of dragonflies in the family Aeshnidae, containing the single extant species Basiaeschna janata, commonly called the springtime darner. The genus is notable for its early seasonal flight period and distinctive bluish coloration. A fossil species, †Basiaeschna alaskaensis, has been described from the Paleocene-Eocene boundary in Alaska, providing evidence of the genus's ancient presence in North America and potential trans-Beringian origin.
Brachys cephalicus
Brachys cephalicus is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Schaeffer in 1909. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. Field observations from southeastern Arizona indicate adults are active in late spring (early June), where they have been collected by sweeping foliage of Quercus arizonica (Arizona white oak) and Quercus emoryi (Emory oak). Like other members of the genus Brachys, it is associated with oak foliage and appears to be most readily collected when host trees have freshly flushed new leaves.
Dilophus tibialis
Dilophus tibialis is a species of march fly in the family Bibionidae. It is one of approximately 15-18 Dilophus species recognized in North America north of Mexico. The genus Dilophus is distinguished from the similar genus Bibio by having a ring of shorter teeth on the tibiae rather than long spurs. Species in this genus are typically smaller and less robust than Bibio, and often exhibit reddish coloration rather than black.
Gnamptopelta obsidianator
bent-shielded besieger wasp
Gnamptopelta obsidianator is a large ichneumonid wasp and the sole species in its monotypic genus. It is distinguished by a concave clypeus, a trait reflected in its genus name derived from Greek words for 'bent' and 'shield.' The species is an ectoparasitoid of sphinx moth caterpillars (Macroglossinae) feeding on grapevines. Adults are active in spring across eastern North America.
Habropoda pallida
pallid habropoda, white-faced bee
Habropoda pallida is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Apidae. It is the first native bee to emerge in spring on the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve. The species has been extensively studied for its chemical communication system, which involves long-chain hydrocarbon sex pheromones. It serves as a host for the parasitic blister beetle Meloe franciscanus, whose larvae mimic the bee's pheromone signals to gain entry to nests. Females provision nests with pollen, with documented use of Larrea tridentata pollen.
Paraclemensia acerifoliella
Maple Leafcutter Moth
Paraclemensia acerifoliella is a small moth in the family Incurvariidae, known as the maple leafcutter moth. It is native to North America with a range spanning southeastern Canada, the northeastern United States, and south along the Appalachians to western North Carolina. The species has one generation per year, with adults active in spring. Larvae are leaf miners that later construct portable cases from cut leaf pieces.
Phylloxera caryaecaulis
Hickory Gall Phylloxera
Phylloxera caryaecaulis is a small, soft-bodied, gall-forming insect closely related to aphids. It induces distinctive globular galls on hickory leaves and petioles, primarily affecting mockernut hickory (Carya tomentosa) and other hickory species. The species overwinters as eggs deposited on bark or near old galls, with nymphs emerging during bud break in spring to initiate gall formation. Unlike some related phylloxeran species that attack pecan shoots and nuts, P. caryaecaulis is primarily a leaf-gall former and is not considered economically damaging to its host trees.
Stenoporpia vernata
Stenoporpia vernata is a geometer moth (family Geometridae) described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1910 from North American specimens. The specific epithet "vernata" suggests a spring-emerging species. Like other members of the genus Stenoporpia, it belongs to the diverse inchworm moth lineage characterized by caterpillars that move with a looping gait. The species is documented in entomological collections and databases but remains poorly known in terms of natural history.
Ufeus faunus
Ufeus faunus is a noctuid moth species described by Strecker in 1898. It is restricted to the southwestern United States, with documented records from southwestern California to southern New Mexico. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in forewing pattern and size, with females being slightly larger and possessing additional dark streaking. Larval development occurs under bark of riparian trees, with a univoltine life cycle producing adults in spring.