Taxonomy-disputed
Guides
Andricus vacciniifoliae
Golden Oak Apple Gall Wasp, Golden Oak Apple Wasp
Andricus vacciniifoliae is a gall-forming cynipid wasp native to the west coast of North America. The species creates distinctive stem galls on huckleberry oak (Quercus vacciniifolia) and canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis). The galls are colorful and fruit-like in appearance, often leading to misidentification as actual fruit. The wasp has been reclassified from Andricus to Trichoteras in some taxonomic treatments, though both names remain in use.
Apatetrinae
Apatetrinae is a subfamily of small moths within the family Gelechiidae, established by Edward Meyrick in 1947. The subfamily includes two recognized tribes—Apatetrini and Pexicopiini—plus numerous genera currently unplaced to tribe. Many species are poorly known, though the group includes some economically significant pests such as the pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella). The subfamily exhibits considerable diversity in morphology and larval habits across its constituent genera.
Aphoebantus
bee flies
Aphoebantus is a genus of bee flies (family Bombyliidae) containing at least 80 described species. The genus was established by Loew in 1872 and is classified within the subfamily Anthracinae and tribe Aphoebantini. Some taxonomic authorities consider Epacmus to be a synonym or subset of Aphoebantus rather than a distinct genus. The genus is characterized by small, fuzzy bee flies that exhibit potential predator mimicry of jumping spiders.
Calycopis isobeon
dusky-blue groundstreak
Calycopis isobeon, the dusky-blue groundstreak, is a small hairstreak butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It ranges from Venezuela northward through Central America and Mexico to central Texas. The species is extremely similar in appearance to the red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), and the two are sometimes treated as conspecific due to their close morphological resemblance.
Dendrobias mandibularis mandibularis
A large cerambycid beetle in the tribe Trachyderini, notable for males possessing extraordinarily enlarged mandibles used in combat. The nominate subspecies occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults are diurnal and frequently encountered on flowering vegetation, particularly Baccharis sarothroides. The species has been subject to taxonomic confusion, with some authorities placing it in the genus Trachyderes.
Myzocallis discolor
Eastern dusky-winged oak aphid
Myzocallis discolor is an aphid species in the family Aphididae, commonly known as the eastern dusky-winged oak aphid. The species has undergone taxonomic revision, with some sources placing it in the genus Neomyzocallis. It is associated with oak hosts (Quercus species). The species was first described by Monell in 1879 under the basionym Callipterus discolor.
Polyaspinus
Polyaspinus is a genus of mites in the order Mesostigmata. The genus was established by Berlese in 1916 and currently includes at least eleven described species distributed across multiple continents. Taxonomic placement has varied between families Polyaspididae and Trachytidae in different classification systems. The genus shows a broad geographic distribution with records from South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Protitame cervula
Protitame cervula is a species of geometrid moth originally described by Rindge in 1958. The species has been transferred to the genus Sperrya in some taxonomic treatments, resulting in the synonym Sperrya cervula. Based on iNaturalist records, it has been documented in at least 17 observations, indicating it is a rarely reported species with limited available natural history data. As a member of Geometridae, it belongs to a large family of moths commonly known as inchworms or loopers due to the characteristic larval locomotion.
Thambemyia
Thambemyia is a genus of long-legged flies in the family Dolichopodidae, characterized by its exclusive association with rocky intertidal habitats. The genus is distributed across the Oriental and Neotropical realms, with a single Palearctic species from Japan. Taxonomic relationships with the genus Conchopus remain unresolved, with some authors treating the latter as a synonym while others recognize it as distinct. The genus currently comprises five described species plus a new subgenus established for the Japanese species.