Two-year-life-cycle
Guides
Arrhenopeplus brunneus
Bruner slantfaced grasshopper
Arrhenopeplus brunneus is a medium-sized, colorful grasshopper of the slantfaced subfamily Gomphocerinae, widely distributed in the hills and mountains of the northwestern United States. The species inhabits mixedgrass and bunchgrass prairies, mountain meadows, parklands, and alpine tundra at elevations from 1,600 to 11,100 feet. During population irruptions, it becomes a serious pest of mountain and foothill grasslands, capable of causing considerable damage to range grasses. The species exhibits a two-year life cycle in mountain meadows and northern grasslands, with hatching occurring in June and adults appearing in July or August depending on seasonal temperatures.
Brachystola magna
Plains Lubber Grasshopper, Western Lubber Grasshopper, Homesteader
Brachystola magna is one of the largest grasshoppers in North America, a flightless species inhabiting the Great Plains from the Canadian border to central Mexico. Adults reach 4–6 cm in length, with females substantially larger and heavier than males. The species exhibits a two-year life cycle, with eggs overwintering twice before hatching. Though primarily herbivorous, adults display notable omnivory including scavenging and predation on other insects. The species has historical scientific significance as the subject of Walter Sutton's pioneering work on reduction division and chromosome theory.
Centrotus cornutus
Horned Treehopper, Thorn-hopper
Centrotus cornutus, commonly known as the Horned Treehopper or Thorn-hopper, is a distinctive treehopper species in the family Membracidae. Adults are recognized by their pronounced pronotal extensions that form horn-like projections, which function in camouflage by resembling thorns or plant parts. The species has a two-year life cycle and overwinters as larvae in leaf litter. It is one of only two treehopper species recorded in the United Kingdom.
Chaoborus trivittatus
phantom midge
Chaoborus trivittatus is a species of phantom midge, a non-biting fly in the family Chaoboridae. The larvae are aquatic predators in lake ecosystems, notable for their diel vertical migration between deep daytime refuges and surface feeding zones. Unlike the congeneric C. americanus, C. trivittatus has a two-year life cycle with extended fourth-instar development. Adults are short-lived and non-feeding.
Cratypedes lateritius lateritius
Cratypedes lateritius lateritius is a rarely collected grasshopper subspecies native to the Great Basin region of western North America. In Wyoming, it has been recorded only infrequently from sagebrush habitats. The subspecies appears to have a two-year life cycle, with adults present from May through August. Due to its scarcity, it has no documented economic importance.
Odontocynips nebulosa
root gall wasp
Odontocynips nebulosa is a cynipid wasp that induces large, woody, subterranean galls on oak roots. Adults are small and rarely observed; the galls are the primary sign of its presence. The species was long misidentified due to confusion with a different gall-former on oak leaves. It has a two-year life cycle and is restricted to the southeastern and central United States.
Pelidnota punctata
Grapevine Beetle, Spotted June Beetle, Spotted Pelidnota
Pelidnota punctata is a scarab beetle in the subfamily Rutelinae, commonly known as the grapevine beetle or spotted June beetle. Adults are approximately 2.5–3 cm long with variable coloration ranging from off-yellow to auburn red, marked by four black spots on each side of the elytra. The species exhibits regional variation: northern populations typically have darker legs and more pronounced spotting, while southern populations may lack spots entirely and have lighter legs. It is distributed across eastern North America from Ontario to Florida and west to Texas and South Dakota.
Pyrgus centaureae freija
Freija's Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus centaureae freija is a subspecies of grizzled skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It was originally described as a full species by Warren in 1924, but is currently treated as a subspecies of Pyrgus centaureae. The taxon is considered a synonym of Pyrgus wyandot in some classifications. It is a member of the diverse Pyrgus genus, commonly known as checkered-skippers or grizzled skippers.
Pyrgus centaureae loki
Pyrgus centaureae loki is a subspecies of the Northern Grizzled Skipper, a skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is one of several recognized subspecies of Pyrgus centaureae, a species distributed across northern regions of Europe and North America. The subspecies was described by Evans in 1953. Like other members of the genus Pyrgus, it is characterized by a checkered wing pattern and rapid, darting flight behavior typical of skippers.
Retinia albicapitana
Northern Pitch Twig Moth
Retinia albicapitana, the northern pitch twig moth, is a small tortricid moth specialized on Pinus species. It occurs across boreal and northern temperate North America, with a two-year life cycle. The species is notable for its extended larval development and association with coniferous forest ecosystems.
Saperda calcarata
Poplar Borer
Saperda calcarata, commonly known as the poplar borer, is a longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) first described by Thomas Say in 1824. The species is native to North America, occurring in Canada and the United States. Larvae are significant pests of balsam poplar and related Populus species, tunneling at the junction of the root and stem where they cause structural damage that can girdle and kill trees. The species exhibits a two-year life cycle in western Canada and possesses a recognized variety, Saperda calcarata var. adspersa, distinguished by coloration differences between sexes.
Stenosphenus notatus
Stenosphenus notatus is a longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) native to eastern North America. It is notable for its exceptionally early spring emergence, appearing during the first warm days of late March and disappearing before most other longhorned beetles become active. The species is closely associated with hickory trees (Carya), where larvae develop beneath the bark of dead limbs. Adults overwinter, an unusual life history strategy among eastern U.S. cerambycids.
Sympistis lapponica
Sympistis lapponica is a small noctuid moth first described by Thunberg in 1791. It occurs across boreal and arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Fennoscandia, northern Russia, Asia, and northern North America. The species is notable for its two-year life cycle, overwintering first as an egg and again as a pupa.