Virginia
Guides
Antrolana
Antrolana is a genus of cirolanid isopods represented by one accepted species, Antrolana lira, the Madison Cave isopod. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists Virginia and West Virginia as its range states and describes it from flooded caves formed in ancient limestone. In that sole known species, a flattened, eyeless, unpigmented body accompanies an unusual habit for a cave isopod: swimming freely rather than spending most of its time walking along the bottom.
Aphaenogaster picea
Pitch-black Collared Ant
Aphaenogaster picea is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is known for its gut microbiome composition, which has been studied in relation to worker task behaviors and refuse pile interactions. The species is found at higher elevations in the eastern United States, particularly in Virginia, where it has been documented at 900–1000 meters above sea level. Workers exhibit task specialization without morphological subcastes, including nurse, forager, and refuse pile interaction roles.
Callophrys irus arsace
Callophrys irus arsace is a historically reported subspecies of the frosted elfin butterfly, originally described from coastal regions of the southeastern United States (Carolinas and Virginia). Genetic analysis of preserved specimens found no evidence that this subspecies is genetically distinct from the nominate subspecies C. i. irus. Field surveys conducted in 2019 and 2021 failed to locate any extant populations within its historical range. The subspecies has not been observed in over two decades and may be extirpated.
Cymindis elegans
Cymindis elegans is a ground beetle species in the genus Cymindis, first described by LeConte in 1846. It belongs to the subfamily Lebiinae and tribe Lebiini within the family Carabidae. The species is known from Virginia in the United States. Very little specific information about its biology, ecology, or behavior has been documented.
Dalopius virginicus
Dalopius virginicus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Dalopius belongs to the subfamily Dendrometrinae, a group of click beetles characterized by their ability to produce a clicking sound through a prosternal process that fits into a mesosternal cavity. Very little published information exists specifically for this species. The species epithet "virginicus" suggests a potential association with the state of Virginia or the broader Virginian biogeographic region in eastern North America, though this has not been confirmed in the available literature.
Decusa expansa
Decusa expansa is a rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1866. It belongs to the tribe Oxypodini within the subtribe Dinardina. The species has been documented from several eastern and midwestern U.S. states. Like other aleocharine rove beetles, it is likely small-bodied with reduced elytra typical of the family.
Euhadenoecus fragilis
Tawney's Cave Cricket, tawneys cave cricket
Euhadenoecus fragilis is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It was described by Hubbell in 1978. The species is known from cave environments in North America, with documented occurrences in Virginia. Like other members of the family Rhaphidophoridae, it is wingless and adapted to subterranean habitats.
Notopygus virginiensis
Notopygus virginiensis is a species of ichneumonid wasp described by Cushman in 1915. It belongs to the family Ichneumonidae, one of the largest families of parasitoid wasps. The genus Notopygus is part of the diverse ichneumonoid complex, with species typically characterized by specialized parasitoid life histories targeting other insects. Very little specific biological information has been published for this particular species.
Parcoblatta virginica
Virginia wood cockroach
The Virginia wood cockroach, Parcoblatta virginica, is a species of the North American wood-cockroach genus Parcoblatta. An early species key describes it as one of the smaller, more slender eastern members of the genus. Males average about 13 mm in body length, with tegmina (the leathery forewings) averaging about 15 mm. Virginia Tech describes leaf litter and rotting wood as characteristic settings for Parcoblatta wood cockroaches; that habitat account is genus-wide rather than a species-specific study.
Pseudanophthalmus hoffmani
Hoffman's Cave Beetle
Pseudanophthalmus hoffmani, known as Hoffman's cave beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is endemic to Virginia, United States. The species belongs to a genus of troglobitic beetles specialized for subterranean environments.
Pseudanophthalmus holsingeri
Holsinger's Cave Beetle
Pseudanophthalmus holsingeri, known as Holsinger's Cave Beetle, is a troglobitic ground beetle endemic to Virginia, United States. The species was described by Thomas C. Barr in 1965. As a member of the genus Pseudanophthalmus, it is adapted to subterranean cave environments.
Pseudopolydesmus collinus
Rolling Hills Flat-back
Pseudopolydesmus collinus is a flat-backed millipede in the family Polydesmidae, described by Hoffman in 1974. It belongs to the order Polydesmida, characterized by their dorsoventrally flattened bodies. The species is known from limited records in Virginia, United States. As with other members of its genus, it likely inhabits moist forest floor environments typical of polydesmid millipedes.
Pseudopolydesmus paludicolus
Pseudopolydesmus paludicolus is a species of flat-backed millipede in the family Polydesmidae, described by Hoffman in 1950. It belongs to a genus characterized by a flattened body form typical of polydesmidan millipedes. The species epithet 'paludicolus' (from Latin 'palus' meaning marsh and 'cola' meaning dweller) suggests association with wetland or marshy habitats. Documentation of this species remains limited, with few published records beyond original description.
Scaphinotus incompletus
incomplete snail-eating beetle
Scaphinotus incompletus is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, commonly known as the incomplete snail-eating beetle. It is one of the "snail-eating beetles" in the genus Scaphinotus, characterized by adaptations for predation on terrestrial mollusks. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged), a trait common in this genus that reflects their ground-dwelling lifestyle and reduced need for flight. The species is known from a restricted range in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States.
Ummidia neilgaimani
Ummidia neilgaimani is a species of trapdoor spider described from eastern Virginia in 2021. It is distinguished from related eastern U.S. species by a combination of leg and body characters, including a comb on the retrolateral face of the fourth tarsus. The species is recorded in Virginia, east of the Appalachians. Males disperse in autumn, from September through November.