Western-north-america
Guides
Anambodera
An undescribed species of jewel beetle in the genus Anambodera, collected from Nothing, Arizona. The specimen resembles A. gemina but differs in multiple characters including coarse elytral punctation and heavily sculptured, bronzed pronotal surface. The genus Anambodera is restricted to western North America and is poorly represented in collections due to cryptic habits; most species do not visit flowers but instead alight on rock surfaces or bare soil. The genus is currently undergoing revision by Dennis Haines and George Walters.
Anambodera gemina
Anambodera gemina is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The species belongs to a genus restricted to western North America whose members are poorly represented in collections due to cryptic habits—they typically alight on rock surfaces or bare soil rather than visiting flowers, unlike the related genus Acmaeodera.
Anambodera lucksani
A small jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Walters in 1982. The genus Anambodera is restricted to western North America and is closely related to the diverse genus Acmaeodera. Species in this genus are poorly represented in collections due to their cryptic habits.
Anambodera nebulosa
Anambodera nebulosa is a small metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species is found in western North America and is characterized by its cryptic habits, typically occurring on rock surfaces or bare soil rather than flowers. It was described by Horn in 1894 and is one of several species in the genus Anambodera, which is restricted to western North America and remains incompletely known taxonomically.
Anambodera palmarum
Anambodera palmarum is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It occurs in western North America, including the southwestern United States and adjacent regions of Mexico. The genus Anambodera is restricted to western North America and is characterized by cryptic habits, with adults typically found on rock surfaces or bare soil rather than flowers.
Anambodera santarosae
Anambodera santarosae is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Knull in 1960. It belongs to a small genus of western North American buprestids that are morphologically similar to Acmaeodera but distinguished by several structural characters including non-reflexed epistoma, rounded pronotal angles, and visible suture between abdominal sterna. Species in this genus are generally poorly represented in collections due to their cryptic habits.
Anatralata
Anatralata is a monotypic genus of Crambidae moths established by Munroe in 1961. The sole species, Anatralata versicolor, occurs in western North America from coastal central California north to British Columbia and east to Idaho. Adults are small moths with forewings 5–7 mm in length, active from spring through mid-summer.
Anatralata versicolor
Venerable Bantam
Anatralata versicolor is a small moth species belonging to the family Crambidae. It is the sole member of its genus, making it monotypic. The species is native to western North America, with a range extending from California through Idaho to British Columbia. It occupies diverse habitats including mountainous regions and low-elevation coastal grasslands in central California.
Anchomenus aeneolus
Anchomenus aeneolus is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. The species was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1854. It is known from the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions of western North America.
Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus
Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus is a solitary mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. The species is divided into two subspecies with distinct geographic ranges in western North America. Females nest in pre-existing cavities including abandoned mud dauber nests, hollowed sumac twigs, and old beetle borings in dead wood. They provision each cell with paralyzed caterpillars as food for their developing larvae. The species has been observed feeding on aphid honeydew.
Andrena auricoma
Golden-haired Miner Bee
Andrena auricoma, the Golden-haired Miner Bee, is a small solitary mining bee in the family Andrenidae. Females measure 8–10 mm in length, while males are smaller at 6–9 mm. The species is native to the western United States, with its distribution centered in California and relative rarity outside this state. It is a ground-nesting bee that excavates tunnels in soil for reproduction.
Andrenosoma hesperium
Golden-horned Chiselmouth
Andrenosoma hesperium is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae. Described by Martin in 1966, this western North American species is one of six Andrenosoma species occurring in North America, with four species restricted to Texas, one to eastern North America (A. fulvicaudum), and A. hesperium occurring only in the western United States. Like other laphriine robber flies, its larvae are predators of wood-boring beetle larvae.
Andrenosoma xanthocnemum
Texas Chiselmouth
A species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae. Like other members of its subfamily, larvae are predators of wood-boring beetle larvae. The genus Andrenosoma reaches its greatest diversity in the Neotropics, with A. xanthocnemum being one of several species restricted to Texas and the western United States.
Andricus chrysolepidicola
Irregular Spindle Gall Wasp, irregular-spindle gall wasp
Andricus chrysolepidicola is a cynipid gall wasp that induces distinctive stem galls on several oak species in western North America. The species exhibits a complex heteroecious life cycle with alternating generations: first-year unisexual wasps produce irregular spindle-shaped stem galls, while second-year bisexual wasps induce bud galls. The species is primarily documented from California but has been recorded elsewhere along the Pacific coast and eastward to Nevada.
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.
Andropolia aedon
Andropolia aedon is a noctuid moth species described by Grote in 1880. Originally described as Polia aedon, it was later transferred to the genus Andropolia. The species occurs in western North America from British Columbia and Alberta south through the Rocky Mountain region to California. Like other members of the subfamily Acronictinae, it is a nocturnal species attracted to ultraviolet light sources.
Andropolia theodori
Andropolia theodori is a noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878. It occurs in western North America from British Columbia to California, with three recognized subspecies corresponding to geographic regions. The species has a wingspan of 43–55 mm and is attracted to blacklights.
Anicla exuberans
Exuberant Dart
Anicla exuberans is a noctuid moth known as the Exuberant Dart, first described by John Bernhardt Smith in 1898. It is characterized by a moderate wingspan of 37–41 mm and a univoltine life cycle with adults active during summer months. The species occupies dry interior habitats across western North America, ranging from central Mexico to the Canadian prairies.
Anisodactylus californicus
Anisodactylus californicus is a ground beetle species in the family Carabidae, first described by Dejean in 1829. The species occurs in western North America, with records from the United States and Canada. As a member of the genus Anisodactylus, it belongs to a group of carabid beetles commonly known as hairy ground beetles, though specific ecological and biological details for this particular species remain poorly documented in available literature.
Anisostylus gillettei
Anisostylus gillettei is a treehopper species in the family Membracidae, described by Goding in 1892. It belongs to the tribe Ceresini within the subfamily Smiliinae. The species is documented from western North America, with records from California, Colorado, and Utah. Like other membracids, it is presumed to feed on plant phloem sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Anisostylus stylatus
Anisostylus stylatus is a species of treehopper in the family Membracidae, described by Caldwell in 1949. It belongs to the tribe Ceresini within the subfamily Smiliinae. The species has been documented in the western United States, specifically in Idaho and Utah. Like other members of the genus Anisostylus, it possesses a pronotum modified into a distinctive dorsal structure characteristic of treehoppers.
Anisotoma confusa
Anisotoma confusa is a species of round fungus beetle in the family Leiodidae, first described by George Henry Horn in 1880. The species occurs in western North America from Alaska to California. As a member of the tribe Anisotomini, it belongs to a group of small beetles primarily associated with fungal habitats. The specific epithet "confusa" suggests historical taxonomic confusion with related species.
Annaphila
Annaphila is a genus of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae, erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. The genus comprises approximately 24 described species distributed in western North America. Members are notable for being day-flying moths, a trait uncommon among Noctuidae. At least one species, Annaphila astrologa, has been documented using whispering bells (Emmenanthe penduliflora) as a larval host plant.
Annaphila arvalis
Annaphila arvalis is a small owlet moth in the family Noctuidae, described by Henry Edwards in 1875. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 20 mm and are active from early March to mid-April. The species is distributed across western North America from south-eastern British Columbia to southern California. Larvae feed on Montia perfoliata. The species is assigned Hodges number 9854.
Annaphila miona
Annaphila miona is a species of owlet moth in the family Noctuidae, first described by Smith in 1908. It belongs to the tribe Annaphilini within the subfamily Stiriinae. Like other members of its genus, it is likely a day-flying moth, though this specific behavior has not been explicitly documented for this species. The genus Annaphila is native to western North America and contains medium-sized, attractive moths.
Annaphila pseudoastrologa
Annaphila pseudoastrologa is a species of owlet moth in the family Noctuidae, described by Sala in 1964. It belongs to the genus Annaphila, a group of small to medium-sized day-flying moths. The genus is endemic to western North America and includes species associated with specific host plants.
Anomoea rufifrons occidentimutabilis
A subspecies of case-bearing leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Described by Moldenke in 1970 from western North American populations of Anomoea rufifrons. The subspecific epithet "occidentimutabilis" suggests variability in western populations. Like other members of the genus, adults are associated with woody vegetation and are case-bearers in the larval stage.
Anopheles freeborni
western malaria mosquito
Anopheles freeborni is a medium-sized mosquito species native to western North America, historically recognized as the primary malaria vector in the western United States. Adults are distinguished by four dark wing spots and gray-brown thoracic stripes. The species exhibits strong zoophilic feeding preferences, primarily targeting cattle, horses, and other large mammals, though human blood meals occur at lower frequencies. Larval development occurs in stagnant freshwater habitats, particularly rice fields and associated irrigation systems. Females overwinter in sheltered locations and exhibit prehibernation dispersal flights of up to 28 km. Mating occurs in large evening swarms from July through September.
Anopina arizonana
Anopina arizonana is a small tortricid moth first described by Lord Walsingham in 1884. It has a wingspan of approximately 16 mm. The species is native to western North America, with a range extending from southern interior British Columbia and Alberta south to Arizona.
Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla
Sage Plume Moth
Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla, commonly known as the Sage Plume Moth, is a small plume moth in the family Pterophoridae. Native to western North America from California and Arizona through Mexico to Costa Rica, it has been introduced to Hawaii. The species was originally described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1902 and later moved to the genus Anstenoptilia by Zimmerman in 1958, though a misspelling of the epithet as 'marmorodactyla' has persisted in some literature.
Anthaxia caseyi
Anthaxia caseyi is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, native to North America. The species was described by Obenberger in 1914 and includes four recognized subspecies. Field observations indicate adults are flower visitors, particularly associated with Purshia standsburyana (Stansbury's cliffrose) and other flowering plants in western North American habitats.
Anthicus bellulus
Anthicus bellulus is a species of ant-like flower beetle in the family Anthicidae, described by LeConte in 1851. The species is distributed across western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada, through the western United States into Mexico. As with other members of the genus Anthicus, adults are typically found in dry, open habitats and are often associated with flowers or ground-level vegetation. The species is rarely encountered in large numbers and is known from relatively few collections.
Anthidium palliventre
Pacific Woolcarder
Anthidium palliventre is a megachilid bee native to western North America, commonly known as the Pacific Woolcarder. Females collect plant fibers, particularly from hairy leaves such as lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina), to construct nest cells. Males establish and defend floral territories, exhibiting aggressive behavior toward other insects that approach their claimed flowers. The species is closely related to the introduced European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), but is native rather than invasive.
Anthocharis julia browningi
Utah Julia Orangetip
A subspecies of orangetip butterfly endemic to the western United States. The common name "Utah Julia Orangetip" indicates a geographic association with Utah, though precise range boundaries remain poorly documented. As a member of the Pieridae family, it shares the characteristic white or yellow wing bases with orange apical markings typical of the genus Anthocharis.
Anthocharis julia flora
Flora Orangetip
Anthocharis julia flora is a subspecies of orangetip butterfly in the family Pieridae, first described by Wright in 1892. It belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive orange-tipped forewings in males. The subspecies is part of the Anthocharis julia species complex, which includes multiple geographically distributed subspecies across western North America.
Anthocharis sara
Sara orangetip, Pacific orangetip
Anthocharis sara is a pierid butterfly native to western North America, ranging from Baja California north to extreme southwestern Oregon and east to the Sierra Nevada and western Nevada. It is one of three distinct species in the Sara orangetip complex, separated from A. julia and A. thoosa by >2% mitochondrial DNA COI barcode divergence and morphological characters of immature stages. The species exhibits strong seasonality with two broods annually and has been documented utilizing diverse mustard family host plants.
Anthocharis thoosa colorado
Anthocharis thoosa colorado is a subspecies of butterfly in the family Pieridae, described by Scott & Fisher in 2008. It was originally described as Anthocharis sara colorado. The taxon belongs to a genus commonly known as orangetips, recognized for the orange apical markings on the forewings of males. Information specific to this subspecies is extremely limited.
Anthocharis thoosa inghami
Ingham's Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa inghami is a subspecies of orangetip butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is one of several recognized subspecies of Anthocharis thoosa, a species complex distributed across western North America. Like other orangetips, adults are active in early spring and are associated with specific larval host plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). The subspecies epithet 'inghami' honors a collector or researcher, following standard entomological naming conventions.
Anthophora edwardsii
Edwards' anthophora
Anthophora edwardsii, commonly known as Edwards' anthophora, is a solitary digger bee native to western North America. Adults measure 12–18 mm in length and exhibit sexual dimorphism in facial coloration. The species is an important pollinator, with documented associations to manzanita flowers. Like other members of the genus Anthophora, it nests in the ground and is active during spring.
Anthophora pacifica
Pacific Digger Bee
Anthophora pacifica is a solitary, ground-nesting digger bee native to western North America. Females excavate burrows in soil to construct individual nests provisioned with pollen and nectar. The species serves as the primary host for the cleptoparasitic bee Melecta pacifica fulvida, which invades its nests to lay eggs. A. pacifica is part of the diverse Anthophora genus, which includes other notable digger bees such as the bumble bee-mimic A. bomboides stanfordiana.
Anthrenus sophonisba
Anthrenus sophonisba is a species of carpet beetle in the family Dermestidae, first described by Beal in 1998. It belongs to the scrophulariae species group within the genus Anthrenus. The species is known from the western United States, specifically documented in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. Like other members of its genus, it likely shares the typical carpet beetle life history involving keratin-feeding larvae and pollen-feeding adults, though species-specific details remain poorly documented.
Anyphaena californica
ghost spider
Anyphaena californica is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by Banks in 1904. It is native to the western United States, particularly California, where it inhabits various terrestrial environments. As a member of the ghost spider family, it is likely nocturnally active and hunts without constructing permanent webs for prey capture.
Aoplonema princeps
Aoplonema princeps is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Uhler in 1894. This true bug is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. As a member of the large and diverse Miridae family, it is likely associated with herbaceous or woody vegetation, though specific host plant relationships remain poorly documented.
Apachea barberella
Apachea barberella is a moth species and the sole member of the genus Apachea in the family Depressariidae. Described by August Busck in 1902, it is known from scattered records across western North America. The species remains poorly documented with only two observations recorded on iNaturalist.
Apamea acera
Apamea acera is a noctuid moth native to western North America. The species was described by Smith in 1900 and was originally placed in the genus Polia. Its documented range extends from British Columbia through California and eastward to Utah. The wingspan measures approximately 46 mm.
Apamea albina
Apamea albina is a noctuid moth native to California and Oregon. It inhabits forests and oak savanna on serpentine soils. The species has a forewing length of 20–23 mm and exhibits distinctive red-brown coloration with white, black, and blue-gray markings. It is a member of the cutworm moth genus Apamea, which contains numerous similar species that are difficult to distinguish.
Apamea antennata
Apamea antennata is a noctuid moth species widespread in the forests of western North America. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 44 mm and fly during early and midsummer. The larval stage feeds on grasses. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate A. a. antennata and A. a. purpurissata restricted to British Columbia.
Apamea cuculliformis
Apamea cuculliformis is a noctuid moth species described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1875. It belongs to the diverse cutworm moth genus Apamea, a group noted for taxonomic difficulty due to individual variation and overlapping morphological traits among species. The species is endemic to western North America. Available information is limited to basic taxonomy and geographic distribution.
Apamea digitula
Apamea digitula is a noctuid moth described in 2006 from the Laguna Mountains of southern California. It is a member of the large and taxonomically challenging genus Apamea, which includes many similar-looking cutworm moths. The species is known from a limited geographic range in the western United States.
Apamea maxima
Apamea maxima is a noctuid moth species native to western North America. It was described by Harrison G. Dyar in 1904, originally placed in the genus Polia. The species occurs in a range extending from British Columbia southward to California. Like other members of the genus Apamea, it is part of the diverse cutworm moth group within the family Noctuidae.