Taxonomically-unstable
Guides
Blastobasidae
Blastobasid Moths
Blastobasidae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea, containing approximately 30 genera and hundreds of species distributed worldwide. Adults are generally slender, reddish-brown moths with wingspans of 12–24 mm, lacking conspicuous markings. Larvae feed on dead organic matter, though some species are pests of stored products or cultivated crops. The family's taxonomy remains unstable, with relationships among genera poorly resolved and various arrangements placing Blastobasidae as a subfamily of Coleophoridae or including Symmocidae within it.
Boarmiini
Boarmiini moths, Cleorini
Boarmiini is a large tribe of geometer moths within the Ennominae subfamily, also commonly referred to as Cleorini. The tribe is taxonomically complex, with boundaries that have been variously defined—sometimes narrowly restricted to core genera, sometimes expanded to include related tribes such as Bistonini, Bupalini, and others based on shared egg chorion characteristics. Members are typically slender, cryptically colored moths with distinctive resting postures and complex male genitalia. The tribe has a global distribution with particularly diverse faunas in the Afrotropical, Palearctic, and Oriental regions.
Carmenta phoradendri
Mistletoe Borer, Mistletoe Borer Moth
Carmenta phoradendri is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, described by George Paul Engelhardt in 1946. Larvae are known to feed internally on Phoradendron tomentosum, a mistletoe species parasitizing mesquite trees. The species has been subject to taxonomic revision, with some authorities placing it in the genus Synanthedon based on larval characters. Adults are active in late summer.
Coelopoeta
Coelopoeta is a genus of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea, native to western North America. The genus has undergone repeated taxonomic revision, having been placed in Elachistidae, Oecophoridae, and currently in the subfamily Coelopoetinae within Pterolonchidae. It contains three described species, two from California and one from the Yukon. The genus was established as monotypic in 1907 and remained so until 1995, when two additional species were described.
Lycaeninae
Coppers
Lycaeninae, commonly known as the coppers, is a subfamily of gossamer-winged butterflies within the family Lycaenidae. The group is taxonomically fluid, with boundaries historically expanded to include Polyommatinae (blues) and Theclinae (hairstreaks), but is now generally restricted to the immediate relatives of the type genus Lycaena. The subfamily contains two recognized tribes: Heliophorini (sapphires) and Lycaenini (typical coppers). Many genera remain of uncertain placement, and the group's systematics continue to be refined.
Scaphomorphus erysimi
Scaphomorphus erysimi is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Lixinae. The species was originally described by Fall in 1901 under the genus Cleonus and later transferred to Scaphomorphus. It is currently recognized as a synonym of Cleonus erysimi in some taxonomic databases, though iNaturalist maintains it under Scaphomorphus. Very little is known about this species' biology or distribution beyond basic taxonomic records.
Syspira
prowling spiders
Syspira is a genus of prowling spiders in the family Miturgidae, first described by Simon in 1895. These active, nocturnal hunters are characterized by their leggy appearance and body lengths of 10–18 mm. The genus occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean, with highest diversity in western North America. Taxonomic revision is ongoing, with species historically placed in Clubionidae and some specimens of S. pallida potentially belonging to the unrelated genus Zorocrates.
Thripsaphis cyperi
Thripsaphis cyperi is a species of aphid first described by Walker in 1848. It is currently recognized as a synonym of Allaphis cyperi, reflecting ongoing taxonomic uncertainty in the genus Thripsaphis. The species belongs to the subfamily Calaphidinae and tribe Saltusaphidini, a group of aphids often associated with sedge hosts (family Cyperaceae). No iNaturalist observations exist for this taxon, and published biological data remain scarce.