Texas-endemic
Guides
Phyllonorycter occitanica
Phyllonorycter occitanica is a micro-moth in the family Gracillariidae, known from Texas, United States. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on elm species (Ulmus), specifically Ulmus fulva and Ulmus rubra. Like other members of its genus, it produces characteristic blotch mines on the leaves of its host plants. The species was described by Frey and Boll in 1876.
Phyllophaga invisa
Phyllophaga invisa is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Riley and Wolfe in 1995. It belongs to the genus Phyllophaga, commonly known as May beetles or June beetles, which is one of the most species-rich genera of beetles in North America with over 400 species. The species is known from Texas, USA, and represents part of the diverse scarab fauna of the Nearctic region. Like other members of its genus, it is likely a root-feeding species with subterranean larval stages and aerial adults.
Phyllophaga riviera
Phyllophaga riviera is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Reinhard in 1950. It belongs to the genus Phyllophaga, commonly known as May beetles or June beetles, which contains over 400 species in North America. The species is known from Texas within the Nearctic region. Like other members of its genus, it likely has a life cycle involving soil-dwelling larvae that feed on plant roots and adults that feed on foliage.
Phyllophaga squamipilosa
Phyllophaga squamipilosa is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, one of over 400 species in the genus Phyllophaga found in North America. The species was described by Saylor in 1936. Like other members of this large genus, it is commonly referred to as a May beetle or June beetle. Very little specific information has been published about this particular species.
Phyllophaga zavalana
Zavala Phyllophaga
Phyllophaga zavalana is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae. It is one of several flightless species within the large genus Phyllophaga, which contains over 400 North American species. P. zavalana is restricted to Texas and closely resembles P. cribrosa and P. epigaea, differing primarily in the absence of distinct longitudinal elytral furrows.
Phylloxera texana
Phylloxera texana is a species of gall-inducing insect in the family Phylloxeridae, described by Stoetzel in 1981. Like other phylloxerans, it is closely related to aphids and induces abnormal plant growths (galls) on its host plants through chemical secretions that manipulate plant tissue development. The species is presumably associated with pecan or related hickory species given its genus affiliation and geographic name, though specific host records and detailed biology remain poorly documented in available literature.
Platynota texana
Platynota texana is a small tortricid moth described in 2012. The species is known only from Texas, United States. The wingspan measures approximately 14 mm. Very little is known about its biology, life history, or host associations.
Protorthodes orobia
Protorthodes orobia is a noctuid moth described in 1876 and currently recognized as a valid species. It is endemic to eastern Texas, with highest abundance along the Gulf Coast. The species is among the smaller members of its genus, with distinctive forewing maculation. Adults are active in autumn, with flight records limited to October.
Pseudomethoca brazoria
A species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, characterized by the wingless females typical of this family. The species name refers to Brazoria County, Texas, suggesting a geographic association with the Gulf Coastal Plain region. As with other mutillids, females are solitary and possess a potent sting, while males are winged and less frequently encountered.
Pseudouroctonus reddelli
Texas Cave Scorpion
Pseudouroctonus reddelli, commonly known as the Texas Cave Scorpion, is a troglobitic scorpion species first described in 1972. It belongs to the family Vaejovidae and is endemic to cave systems in Texas. The species exhibits classic cave-adapted traits including reduced pigmentation and elongated appendages. As a specialized cave dweller, it represents an important component of subterranean biodiversity in the karst regions of central Texas.
Purpuricenus linsleyi
Purpuricenus linsleyi is a rare longhorned beetle species in the family Cerambycidae, described by John Chemsak in 1961. The species was originally known only from the holotype and one paratype from Texas, and was later rediscovered in the Texas hill country by Dan Heffern. It belongs to a genus of large, showy beetles with velvety black bodies and vivid red or orange elytral markings. The species can be confused with P. humeralis due to similar elytral patterning, but differs in having the posterior margin of the basal elytral markings more or less transverse rather than distinctly oblique.
Rhadine infernalis
Rhadine infernalis is a troglobitic ground beetle endemic to Bexar County, Texas, where it occupies karst caves and mesocaverns. It is one of nine federally endangered karst invertebrates from this region, listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2000. The species has the widest known distribution among these endangered invertebrates, having been documented in 39 caves across five karst fauna regions. Two named subspecies exist: R. i. infernalis and R. i. ewersi.
Rostrolaetilia texanella
Rostrolaetilia texanella is a species of pyralid moth in the subfamily Phycitinae, first described by Blanchard and Ferguson in 1975. The species is endemic to Texas and surrounding regions of the southern United States. It is a small moth with limited documented observations, reflecting its restricted range and possibly specialized habitat requirements. The genus Rostrolaetilia contains few described species, and this taxon represents one of the better-documented members of this poorly known group.
Schinia maculata
Schinia maculata is a small noctuid moth described by Pogue in 2006. It is known exclusively from south-eastern Texas, with adults active in mid-October. The species belongs to a genus of colorful flower moths, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented.
Serica howdeni
Serica howdeni is a small scarab beetle described by Dawson in 1967. Adults measure approximately 8 mm in length and are characterized by a dark brown, glabrous, and shining exosurface densely covered with moderate-sized punctures. The species is known only from Texas in the southern United States.
Slaterobius chisos
Slaterobius chisos is a species of seed bug in the family Rhyparochromidae, described by Slater & Sweet in 1993. It is known from the Chisos Mountains region of western Texas, a rugged desert mountain range within Big Bend National Park. The species belongs to a genus of ground-dwelling seed bugs associated with arid and semi-arid habitats. Like other members of Rhyparochromidae, it is presumed to feed on seeds, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The species is rarely collected and appears to have a restricted geographic range.
Sophronia teretracma
Sophronia teretracma is a small gelechiid moth described by Edward Meyrick in 1927. It is known only from Texas in the United States. The species exhibits distinct sexual dimorphism in forewing coloration, with females sometimes showing more extensive white suffusion.
Statira erina
Texas Square-necked Statira
Statira erina is a small darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, subfamily Lagriinae. First described by Parsons in 1975, this species is commonly known as the Texas Square-necked Statira. The genus Statira was formerly placed in the family Lagriidae before its assimilation into Tenebrionidae. Members of this genus are characterized by their aberrant body form among darkling beetles, with elongated bodies and long-jointed appendages that distinguish them from the more typical robust, slow-moving darkling beetles like Eleodes.
Stygobromus pecki
Peck's cave amphipod
Stygobromus pecki is a small, eyeless, unpigmented cave-dwelling amphipod endemic to four spring systems in Comal County, Texas. It is a federally listed endangered species in the United States and classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its extremely limited geographic distribution. The species inhabits subterranean limestone aquifers and exhibits adaptations typical of stygobitic organisms, including light sensitivity and starvation resistance. Very few individuals have been documented since its listing, and no formal recovery plan or comprehensive population assessment exists as of 2022.
Sympistis apis
Sympistis apis is a moth species in the family Noctuidae, described by James T. Troubridge in 2008. It is restricted to the plains of northern Texas. Adults fly in late autumn with a relatively narrow flight period from late September to early October. The species is known from limited collection records and has a small to medium wingspan for its genus.
Tapinella undescribedtx
Tapinella undescribedtx is an undescribed species of parasitoid wasp in the family Platygastridae, a group known for minute body size and egg parasitism. The species epithet "undescribedtx" indicates this taxon has been recognized but not formally described in scientific literature, likely based on specimens from Texas. Platygastridae are among the smallest known insects, with many species measuring less than 1 mm in length. Members of this family are ecologically significant as parasitoids of insect eggs, particularly those of true bugs (Hemiptera).
Texamaurops
Texamaurops is a genus of small rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) established by Barr & Steeves in 1963. The genus contains at least one described species, Texamaurops reddelli, commonly known as the Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle. Members of this genus are associated with cave environments and belong to the diverse tribe Batrisini within the ant-loving beetle subfamily Pselaphinae.
Texoreddellia
Texoreddellia is a monotypic genus of nicoletiid silverfish described by Wygodzinsky in 1973. The genus contains a single described species, Texoreddellia texensis. As a member of Nicoletiidae, it belongs to a family of small, eyeless, wingless insects adapted to subterranean or cryptic habitats. The genus is known from limited observations and specimens.
Triprocris lustrans
Triprocris lustrans is a species of forester moth in the family Zygaenidae, described by William Beutenmüller in 1894. It belongs to the subfamily Procridinae, a group of diurnal moths often characterized by metallic coloration and aposematic warning patterns associated with chemical defenses. The genus Triprocris comprises North American species, and T. lustrans represents one of the less documented members of this group. Like other zygaenids, it is presumed to be chemically defended, though specific studies on this species are limited.
Xanthonia nitida
Black Texas Xanthonian
Xanthonia nitida is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described in 2019. It is known from Texas and is recognized by its dark coloration. As a member of the genus Xanthonia, it belongs to a group of small leaf beetles that are often associated with vegetation in various habitats. The species is relatively recently described and appears to be uncommon, with limited observation records.
Xanthonia parva
Lacey Oak Xanthonia
Xanthonia parva is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described in 2019 from material collected in Texas. It is one of the smallest species in the genus Xanthonia and is associated with Quercus laceyi (Lacey oak). The species was distinguished from congeners based on morphological characters and represents part of ongoing taxonomic revision of North American Eumolpinae.
Xanthonia picturata
Common Texas Oak Xanthonia
Xanthonia picturata is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described in 2019 from Texas. It is one of several recently described species in the genus Xanthonia, a group of small leaf beetles associated with oak trees. The species is relatively well-documented through citizen science observations, with over 100 records on iNaturalist. Its common name reflects its apparent association with oak habitats in Texas.
Xanthonia texana
Xanthonia texana is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Eumolpinae. It was described in 2019 from Texas, representing a relatively recent addition to the genus Xanthonia. The genus comprises small leaf beetles, many of which are associated with specific host plants. As a recently described species, detailed natural history information remains limited.
Xeropsamobeus acerbus
Xeropsamobeus acerbus is a minute aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, measuring approximately 3 mm in length. It is currently known only from Texas, though its range likely extends into neighboring Louisiana. The species has a documented association with the Texas leafcutter ant (Atta texana).