Subarctic
Guides
Achorotile subarctica
Achorotile subarctica is a planthopper species in the family Delphacidae, described by Scudder in 1963. The species is associated with cold northern regions, as indicated by its specific epithet. It belongs to a genus of small delphacid planthoppers. Taxonomic status varies across sources, with some databases listing it as accepted and others as synonym.
Agrotis ruta
Subarctic Dart
Agrotis ruta is a noctuid moth with a Holarctic distribution, first described by Eduard Friedrich Eversmann in 1851. It is primarily found in northern regions of North America and Eurasia. The species has a wingspan of 40–46 mm. Agrotis patula was synonymized with this species in 1989.
Araneus yukon
Yukon Orbweaver
Araneus yukon is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. It was described by Herbert W. Levi in 1971. The species is known from boreal and subarctic regions of Russia and Canada, reflecting its tolerance for cold climates. Like other members of the genus Araneus, it constructs spiral orb webs to capture flying insect prey. The specific epithet 'yukon' refers to the Yukon region of northwestern Canada, indicating the type locality or a significant portion of its known range.
Arctia alpina
Arctic Tiger Moth
Arctia alpina is a tiger moth in the family Erebidae, distributed across high-latitude and high-altitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species inhabits northern Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska, northwestern Canada, and mountainous areas of southern Siberia and northern Mongolia. Adults have a wingspan of 42–50 mm. Larvae feed on specific host plants including dandelion, Vaccinium species, and dwarf willow. The species was transferred from the genus Acerbia to Arctia in a broader taxonomic revision of tiger moth genera.
Arctogeophilus
Arctogeophilus is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae, comprising fourteen species distributed across subarctic and temperate regions of Asia, North America, and western Europe. First described as a subgenus by Carl Attems in 1909 and elevated to genus rank by Henri Ribaut in 1910, its name references the northern distribution toward Ursa Major. Species range from 11 mm to 50 mm in length and possess 35 to 69 pairs of legs.
centipedesoil-dwellingsubarctictemperateGeophilidaeGeophilomorphaChilopodaMyriapodaArthropodanorthern-distributionelongate-headforcipule-denticlesvariable-leg-number14-speciesAttems-1909Ribaut-1910AsiaNorth-AmericaEuropephylogenetic-sister-to-AlloschizotaeniaPachymeriumSchendyloidescarpophagus-absentultimate-legs-longer-than-penultimatescattered-pores-on-ultimate-legs11-50-mm-length35-69-leg-pairsA.-sachalinus-smallA.-wolfi-smallA.-melanonotus-largeA.-macrocephalus-fewest-legsA.-atopus-most-legsA.-glacialis-phylogenetic-representativeArctogeophilus-atopusArctogeophilus-attemsiArctogeophilus-corvallisArctogeophilus-fulvusArctogeophilus-glacialisArctogeophilus-inopinatusArctogeophilus-insularisArctogeophilus-macrocephalusArctogeophilus-melanonotusArctogeophilus-quadratusArctogeophilus-sachalinusArctogeophilus-shelfordiArctogeophilus-umbraticusArctogeophilus-wolfiArctosyrphus willingii
northern longbeak
Arctosyrphus willingii, known as the northern longbeak, is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. It is a medium-sized fly, 11–12 mm in length, with distinctive sexual dimorphism in frons width and wing coloration. The species was formerly classified under the genus Lejops. It is restricted to boreal and subarctic regions of North America.
Athysanella macleani
Athysanella macleani is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, first described from Alaska and the Yukon Territory in 1985. It belongs to the genus Athysanella, a group of small, slender leafhoppers in the subfamily Athysaninae. The species is known from a limited number of specimens collected in northern North America.
Boreaphilus henningianus
Boreaphilus henningianus is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae) with a Holarctic distribution spanning northern Eurasia and North America. The species is associated with cold, northern habitats and has been recorded from boreal and subarctic regions. It belongs to the tribe Coryphiini within the subfamily Omaliinae.
Carabus truncaticollis
blunt-collared worm and slug hunter
Carabus truncaticollis is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae distributed across the northern Holarctic. The species occurs in mesic tundra environments, including moist meadows. Multiple subspecies have been described, primarily from Russia and Mongolia. The common name 'blunt-collared worm and slug hunter' reflects its presumed predatory habits, though specific dietary documentation is limited.
Chrysops nigripes
Chrysops nigripes is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Zetterstedt in 1838. Larval development has been documented in subarctic peatland environments, where the species occupies aquatic to semi-aquatic microhabitats. Life cycle completion at subarctic latitudes may require 7–8 years, indicating exceptionally slow growth rates compared to temperate populations of related species.
Clepsis danilevskyi
Clepsis danilevskyi is a small tortricid moth described by Kostyuk in 1973. The species is known from a restricted distribution spanning northern European Russia, the Mongun-Taiga region of Siberia, and Alaska. Adults are active in July and possess a wingspan of 18–23 mm. The specific epithet honors Professor Alexsandr Sergeevich Danilevskii.
Colias tyche
Booth's sulphur, pale Arctic clouded yellow
Colias tyche is a small to medium-sized butterfly in the family Pieridae, distinguished by its pale green to greenish-white or greenish-yellow wings with visible brown veins and grey-green suffusion on the hindwing bases. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in wing borders: males have dark borders with pale yellow spots, while females have wider dark borders with black spots. It is one of the northernmost Colias species, with a Holarctic distribution spanning Arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia. The species name references Tyche, the Greek deity of chance and luck.
Corymbitodes lobatus
Alaskan Click Beetle
A click beetle species in the family Elateridae, known from high-latitude regions of North America. The species is documented from Alaska and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Adults are active during the brief Arctic summer. The common name reflects its association with Alaskan habitats, though its range extends into northern Canada.
Cucujus puniceus
Red Flat Bark Beetle
Cucujus puniceus is a species of flat bark beetle in the family Cucujidae, distributed across northern North America. The species has been extensively studied for its exceptional cold tolerance mechanisms. Larvae survive winter temperatures through deep supercooling and vitrification, with documented survival to at least –100°C. The species is treated as a synonym of Cucujus clavipes by some authorities, or as a distinct species or subspecies by others.
Culiseta alaskaensis
Alaskan winter mosquito
Culiseta alaskaensis, the Alaskan winter mosquito, is a Holarctic mosquito species adapted to cold subarctic and arctic environments. It has a univoltine life cycle with larvae overwintering and adults emerging in late summer. Females exhibit a distinctive reproductive strategy: they are autogenous for their first egg batch, producing eggs without a blood meal, but require blood for subsequent batches. Adults enter hibernation shortly after emergence without mating or feeding, with mating deferred until spring.
Diacheila
Diacheila is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Elaphrinae. The genus comprises at least four described species, including one extinct species. Members are distributed across Holarctic regions, with some species restricted to Central Asia. The genus is notable for its Arctic and Subarctic specialization, particularly the well-studied D. polita, which exhibits photoperiod-driven life cycle timing.
Diacheila arctica
Arctic Diacheila
Diacheila arctica is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It has a Holarctic distribution, occurring in Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species is classified within the subfamily Elaphrinae, a group of small to medium-sized carabid beetles often associated with moist habitats. Two subspecies are recognized: D. a. arctica (Gyllenhal, 1810) and D. a. amoena (Faldermann, 1835).
Diplocolenus aquilonius
Diplocolenus aquilonius is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, described by Ross & Hamilton in 1970. The species is recorded from Alaska and Yukon, representing a northern distribution within its genus. As a member of the subfamily Deltocephalinae, it belongs to a diverse group of plant-feeding leafhoppers.
Emblyna borealis
Emblyna borealis is a spider species in the family Dictynidae, distributed across boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species occurs in Arctic and subarctic environments including Greenland, northeastern Siberia, Canada, and the United States. As a member of the mesh-web weavers, it constructs characteristic tangled webs.
Erebia fasciata
banded alpine
Erebia fasciata, commonly known as the banded alpine, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Satyrinae. It is distributed across high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere, ranging from central Siberia through Alaska, Yukon, and the Canadian Arctic to Hudson Bay, with additional populations on Banks Island and Victoria Island. The species exhibits a wingspan of 38–53 mm. Adults are active from May to late July depending on location, with larvae feeding on Carex species.
Erebia mancinus
Taiga Alpine
Erebia mancinus, known as the taiga alpine, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Satyrinae. It inhabits subarctic and boreal regions of North America, with a disjunct population extending south to the Rocky Mountains. The species is associated with wetland habitats, specifically black spruce-sphagnum bogs. Adults are active during a brief flight period in mid-summer.
Euxoa aequalis
Euxoa aequalis is a noctuid moth species described by Leon F. Harvey in 1876. It occurs in western North America from the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Yukon southward into the United States, with records from Colorado, Wyoming, and California. The species has a wingspan of approximately 33 mm. Like other members of the genus Euxoa, the larvae are likely cutworms, though specific life history details for this species remain poorly documented.
Gesneria centuriella
Smoky Gesneria
Gesneria centuriella is a small moth in the family Crambidae with a broad Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. The species exhibits considerable geographic variation, with five recognized subspecies adapted to different regions from Eurasia through Alaska to Greenland and the western United States. Adults are active in mid-summer, with North American populations flying from mid-June to July.
Hilaira
dwarf spiders
Hilaira is a genus of dwarf spiders in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1884. The genus contains 25 species distributed across the Holarctic region, with particularly high diversity in northern Eurasia and North America. Species occur in a range of cold-temperate to subarctic habitats including boreal forests, tundra, and mountainous regions. Several species are restricted to high-latitude or high-elevation environments.
Isochnus flagellum
Isochnus flagellum is a small weevil in the family Curculionidae, tribe Rhamphini. The species was originally described as Orchestes flagellum by Erichson in 1902. It is known from high-latitude regions of North America including Alaska, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories. As a member of the genus Isochnus, it belongs to a group of leaf-mining weevils associated with birch and alder foliage.
Lasionycta secedens
Lasionycta secedens is a Holarctic moth species in the family Noctuidae. It was first described by Walker in 1858 under the name Plusia secedens. The species occurs across northern North America and northern Eurasia, with two recognized subspecies: the nominate form in eastern Canada and northern British Columbia, and subspecies bohemani in northern Eurasia, Alaska, and Yukon. A taxonomic revision published in ZooKeys in 2009 treated this species among 43 Lasionycta species in North America.
Lepidophorus lineaticollis
Lepidophorus lineaticollis is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is distributed across high-latitude regions of North America and Eurasia, including Alaska, British Columbia, and the Chukotka region of Russia. The species was described by William Kirby in 1837. It belongs to the subfamily Entiminae, a diverse group of root-feeding weevils.
Ligmargus funebris
Dark Click Beetle
Ligmargus funebris, commonly known as the Dark Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. This beetle is found in boreal and subarctic regions of North America, including Alaska, western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon), and potentially extending into northern forested areas. Click beetles are named for their ability to right themselves when flipped on their backs by rapidly flexing their thoracic hinge, producing an audible clicking sound. The genus Ligmargus belongs to the subfamily Dendrometrinae and tribe Athoini.
Margaiostus glacialis
Glacial Click Beetle
Margaiostus glacialis, commonly known as the Glacial Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The species epithet 'glacialis' suggests an association with cold or glacial environments. It belongs to the genus Margaiostus, which is part of the tribe Pomachiliini within the subfamily Dendrometrinae. The species has been documented in northwestern North America, including Alaska, Alberta, and British Columbia.
Neohypdonus restrictulus
Restricted Click Beetle
Neohypdonus restrictulus is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae, first described by Mannerheim in 1853. The species is known by the common name Restricted Click Beetle. It is distributed across high-latitude regions of North America, including Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Quebec. As a member of Elateridae, it possesses the family's characteristic click mechanism for righting itself when overturned.
Neossos tombstonensis
Neossos tombstonensis is a recently described species of small acalyptrate fly in the family Heleomyzidae, endemic to the Yukon Territory, Canada. It is the fourth described Nearctic species of the rarely collected genus Neossos. The species is extremely small (1.9–2.1 mm) and was described from only two specimens collected by sweeping vegetation in subarctic habitats. Despite the collection method, the species is hypothesized to be an obligate associate of bird nests based on consistent habits documented across other members of the genus.
Nothodelphax umbrata
Nothodelphax umbrata is a species of planthopper in the family Delphacidae, described by Emeljanov in 1982. It belongs to a genus of small, often wetland-associated planthoppers found primarily in northern latitudes. The species has been recorded from boreal and subarctic regions including parts of northern Asia and North America. As with other delphacid planthoppers, it likely inhabits moist environments associated with its host plants.
Pardosa groenlandica
Groenland Wolf Spider, Greenland Wolf Spider
Pardosa groenlandica is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, commonly known as the Groenland Wolf Spider or Greenland Wolf Spider. It is one of approximately 65 Pardosa species recognized in the United States and 75 species north of Mexico. The species has a notably broad distribution spanning arctic and subarctic regions across multiple continents.
Pieris angelika
Arctic White
Pieris angelika, commonly known as the Arctic White, is a cold-adapted butterfly in the family Pieridae. It occurs in subarctic and boreal regions of northwestern North America. The species was described by Eitschberger in 1984, though its taxonomic status may be subject to revision due to potential earlier descriptions. It is one of the few Pieris species specialized for high-latitude environments.
Polopeustis arctiella
Polopeustis arctiella is a small snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Gibson in 1920. It is restricted to northern North America, with records from the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Manitoba, as well as the territory of Nunavut. The species has a wingspan of approximately 22 mm. It belongs to the subfamily Phycitinae, a diverse group of pyralid moths whose larvae often feed on stored products or plant materials.
Ptenothrix palmata
Ptenothrix palmata is a species of globular springtail in the family Dicyrtomidae, first described by Folsom in 1902. As a member of the order Symphypleona, it possesses the rounded, globular body form characteristic of this group. The species has been documented from Arctic, subarctic, and northern North American regions, including Pacific North America. Like other dicyrtomids, it inhabits moist microhabitats in forest floor environments.
Quedius sublimbatus
Quedius sublimbatus is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae) with a Holarctic distribution spanning northern Eurasia and North America. The species was described by Mäklin in 1853 and is currently classified within the subgenus Raphirus of the genus Quedius. It inhabits boreal and subarctic regions across a broad longitudinal range.
Rosenus abiskoensis
Rosenus abiskoensis is a leafhopper species described by Lindberg in 1926 from the genus Rosenus within the family Cicadellidae. It is currently treated as a synonym of Rosenus laciniatus. The species is known from high-latitude and high-altitude localities across northern Eurasia and Alaska, suggesting an association with cold-climate habitats.
Sitona aquilonius
Sitona aquilonius is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, described by Bright in 1994. It is known from high-latitude regions of North America including Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories. Like other members of the genus Sitona, it is expected to be associated with leguminous plants, though specific host records for this species are not documented in available sources.
Somatochlora brevicincta
Quebec Emerald, Robert's Emerald
Somatochlora brevicincta is a rare dragonfly in the family Corduliidae, first described by Canadian entomologist Adrien Robert in 1954. It belongs to the 'ringed' group of emeralds, distinguished by faint whitish rings on the abdomen. The species is among the rarest Odonata in Canada, with a transcontinental distribution across boreal and subarctic regions. It is classified as vulnerable to critically imperiled across most of its range.
Syngrapha diasema
Dwarf Birch Looper
Syngrapha diasema is a noctuid moth distributed across Arctic and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America. First described by Boisduval in 1829, it is commonly known as the Dwarf Birch Looper. The species has a wingspan of 30–33 mm and completes one generation per year.
Syngrapha ignea
Mountain Beauty Moth, mountain beauty
Syngrapha ignea, commonly known as the mountain beauty moth, is a noctuid moth species described by Grote in 1863. It exhibits a notably broad geographic distribution spanning from northern Alaska to southern California and New Mexico, with an additional disjunct population in Labrador. The species occurs across boreal forest and subarctic habitats, suggesting adaptation to cooler montane and northern environments. It belongs to the subfamily Plusiinae, a group characterized by distinctive wing patterns and often diurnal or crepuscular activity.
Syngrapha interrogationis
Scarce Silver Y Moth
Syngrapha interrogationis, commonly known as the scarce silver Y, is a noctuid moth distributed across northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species ranges from Alaska and Canada through Iceland, Europe, and Siberia to Northeast Asia including Japan. Adults display the characteristic silver Y-shaped mark on the forewings typical of the Plusiinae subfamily. The species is considered scarce or locally distributed in parts of its European range.
Thanatophilus trituberculatus
Cold-shore Carrion Beetle
Thanatophilus trituberculatus is a carrion beetle in the family Silphidae. The species occurs across northern regions of both North America and Eurasia. It is associated with cold environments, as indicated by its common name "Cold-shore Carrion Beetle" and its distribution in subarctic and boreal zones. Like other members of its genus, it likely feeds on decomposing animal matter.
Udea abstrusa
Udea abstrusa is a small crambid moth described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1966. It is distributed across western North America from the Canadian prairie provinces and northern territories south through the Rocky Mountains to Colorado and New Mexico. The species exhibits notable subspecific variation, with four recognized subspecies occupying distinct geographic ranges. Adults are active in mid-summer.
Upis
Upis is a genus of darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) established by Fabricius in 1792. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution and includes at least one well-studied species, Upis ceramboides, which is notable for exceptional cold-hardiness. Adults of U. ceramboides survive subarctic winters through freezing tolerance, representing one of the most cold-tolerant insects known.