West-coast
Guides
Anthocharis lanceolata
Gray Marble
Anthocharis lanceolata, commonly known as the gray marble, is a butterfly species in the family Pieridae. First described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1852, this species occurs along the west coast of North America from Canada to the United States. Like other members of the genus Anthocharis, males typically display orange or yellow wing tips. The species is part of a group known for hilltopping behavior, where males patrol ridge tops and summits seeking females.
Chariessa dichroa
Blue Clerid
Chariessa dichroa is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in North America, with records concentrated along the West Coast. The species is distinguished from congeners by its black legs. As a member of the genus Chariessa, it is carnivorous.
Cybaeus reticulatus
Common West Coast Woodland Spider
Cybaeus reticulatus is a species of true spider in the family Cybaeidae. It was first described by French arachnologist Eugène Simon in 1886. The species is found in the United States and Canada, with observations concentrated on the West Coast. It belongs to the marronoid clade, a group of spiders united by molecular phylogenetics rather than obvious morphological synapomorphies.
Melanderia
Melanderia is a genus of long-legged flies (family Dolichopodidae) endemic to the West Coast of the United States. Members of this genus inhabit the intertidal zone, an unusual habitat for dolichopodid flies. Adults possess modified labellae that resemble mandibles, a distinctive morphological adaptation. The genus comprises four described species divided into two subgenera: Melanderia and Wirthia.
Melissodes robustior
robust long-horned bee
Melissodes robustior, commonly known as the robust long-horned bee, is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae. It is native to the West Coast of North America. Male individuals have been observed exhibiting the characteristic sleeping behavior of the genus Melissodes, clustering on flowers or stems at night while females nest underground.
Ptenothrix maculosa
Ptenothrix maculosa is a globular springtail in the family Dicyrtomidae, native to the temperate west coast of North America from Alaska to California. First described by Swedish entomologist Henrik Schött in 1891, this species exhibits extreme color polymorphism, leading to decades of misidentification and the synonymization of several conjectured undescribed species. Definitive identification requires microscopic examination of setal arrangements on the abdomen and furca. It serves as a decomposer in woodland ecosystems and has become a focal species for citizen science monitoring through photo-based identification.