Western-north-america
Guides
Plebejus icarioides icarioides
Melissa Blue, Icaricia Blue
Plebejus icarioides icarioides is a subspecies of blue butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, commonly known as the Melissa Blue or Icaricia Blue. The species complex has been subject to taxonomic revision, with this subspecies sometimes placed in the genus Icaricia. It occurs in western North America and is associated with open habitats. The subspecies is part of a broader species group that includes the endangered Fender's blue butterfly (P. i. fenderi), which has been extensively studied for conservation purposes.
Plebejus icarioides lycea
Plebejus icarioides lycea is a subspecies of the Boisduval's blue butterfly, a member of the family Lycaenidae. The species Plebejus icarioides is known to have multiple subspecies distributed across western North America. According to GBIF taxonomy, this subspecies is currently treated as a synonym, with the accepted name being Cupido pembina. The subspecies was originally described by W.H. Edwards in 1864.
Plebejus idas nabokovi
Nabokov's Blue, Lupine Blue
Plebejus idas nabokovi is a subspecies of the Idas Blue butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is named after the novelist and lepidopterist Vladimir Nabokov. This small blue butterfly is part of the Plebejus idas species complex, which shows considerable geographic variation across its range. The subspecies is associated with lupine host plants and has been studied in the context of butterfly-ant mutualisms and host plant specialization.
Plebejus lupini monticola
Plebejus lupini monticola is a subspecies of blue butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was described by Clemence in 1909 and is currently treated as a synonym of Plebejus monticola. The taxonomic status reflects ongoing revisions within the Plebejus genus, which includes several closely related species and subspecies of lycaenid butterflies found in western North America.
Pleocoma crinita
rain beetle
Pleocoma crinita is a species of rain beetle described by Linsley in 1938. It is one of approximately 30 species in the genus Pleocoma, a group of large, fossorial scarab beetles endemic to western North America. The species is known from Washington State and shares the family-wide trait of adult emergence triggered by rainfall.
Pleocoma dubitabilis leachi
Pleocoma dubitabilis leachi is a subspecies of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, described by Linsley in 1938. It belongs to a genus of scarab beetles endemic to western North America, commonly known for their autumn emergence following rainfall. Members of this genus are characterized by strong sexual dimorphism and fossorial habits. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation within P. dubitabilis.
Pleocoma hirticollis
rain beetle
Pleocoma hirticollis is a species of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, a group of scarab beetles endemic to western North America. The species is active during autumn and winter rains, emerging only when soil is saturated. Three subspecies are recognized: P. h. hirticollis, P. h. reflexa, and P. h. vandykei. Like other Pleocomidae, adults are sexually dimorphic and do not feed.
Pleocoma hirticollis vandykei
Pleocoma hirticollis vandykei is a subspecies of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae. It is one of several subspecies within the species P. hirticollis, which belongs to a genus of scarab beetles endemic to western North America. Members of Pleocoma are known for their fossorial habits and adult emergence during autumn rains. This subspecies was described by Linsley in 1938 and is currently accepted as valid.
Pleocoma staff
rain beetle
Pleocoma staff is a species of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, described by Schaufuss in 1870. Rain beetles are a small, relict group of scarabaeoid beetles endemic to western North America. This species has been recorded from California and Utah.
Pleocomidae
Rain Beetles
Pleocomidae, known as rain beetles, is a family of scarabaeoid beetles found in western North America. The family contains a single extant genus, Pleocoma, with two extinct genera known from the fossil record. Adults emerge in response to rain or snow events, giving the group its common name. The family is considered the sister group to all remaining families of Scarabaeoidea. At least one species, Pleocoma dubitabilis dubitabilis, has been documented as a pest of Christmas trees.
Pleromella
Pleromella is a monotypic moth genus in the family Noctuidae, established by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1921. It contains a single species, Pleromella opter, known from western North America. The genus belongs to the subfamily Noctuinae, one of the largest lineages within the owlet moths.
Pleromella opter
Pleromella opter is a moth species and the sole member of the monotypic genus Pleromella within the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to western North America, occurring in southern Oregon, California, and Baja California. The species was first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1921. It is one of approximately 124 observed records documented in natural history databases.
Plesioarida
Plesioarida is a subgenus of metalmark butterflies within the genus Apodemia (family Riodinidae). Species in this group are small to medium-sized butterflies characterized by reduced wing patterns and subtle metallic markings compared to other Apodemia subgenera. The subgenus is primarily associated with arid and semi-arid regions of western North America.
Pleuropasta
Pleuropasta is a genus of blister beetles (family Meloidae) established by Wellman in 1909. The genus contains at least two described species: P. mirabilis (Horn, 1870) and P. reticulata (Van Dyke, 1947). These beetles belong to the tribe Eupomphini within the subfamily Meloinae. Members of this genus are found in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, particularly in association with desert and scrubland habitats.
Plusia nichollae
West Coast Plusia
Plusia nichollae is a species of looper moth in the family Noctuidae, subfamily Plusiinae. It is native to North America, with a distribution concentrated on the western coast of the continent as suggested by its common name. The species was described by Hampson in 1913, originally placed in the genus Phytometra. Like other members of the genus Plusia, it is characterized by looping locomotion in its larval stage due to reduced proleg number. The MONA or Hodges number for this species is 8951.
Podabrus pruinosus comes
soldier beetle
Podabrus pruinosus comes is a subspecies of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. As with other members of the genus Podabrus, it belongs to a group commonly known as soldier beetles due to their coloration reminiscent of British military uniforms. The species name "pruinosus" refers to a frosted or pruinose appearance. This subspecies is part of a diverse North American beetle fauna, with the genus Podabrus being one of the common genera of soldier beetles in California and western North America.
Podalonia melaena
cutworm wasp
Podalonia melaena is a solitary thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, described by Murray in 1940. As a member of the cutworm wasp genus, females hunt soil-dwelling caterpillars, paralyze them with venom, and provision underground burrows with this prey for their larvae. The species occurs in western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada. Like other Podalonia species, it is active in spring and early summer and is considered a beneficial insect in agricultural settings due to its predation on pest caterpillars.
Poecilanthrax californicus
Poecilanthrax californicus is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, first described by Cole in 1917. As a member of the genus Poecilanthrax, it belongs to a strictly North American group of bee flies whose larvae develop as parasites inside caterpillars of various cutworms and armyworms (family Noctuidae). The species epithet 'californicus' suggests a primary association with California, though specific details about its biology and distribution remain limited in available sources.
Poecilanthrax sackenii
Poecilanthrax sackenii is a North American bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. The genus Poecilanthrax contains approximately 35 species distributed from Canada through Central America, with greatest diversity in the Great Basin region. Larvae of Poecilanthrax species develop as parasitoids within caterpillars of cutworms and armyworms (family Noctuidae). The species P. sackenii specifically has been documented as a parasitoid of grasshoppers, with the tangleveined fly Neorhynchocephalus sackenii (originally described as Sackenia sackenii) being a principal dipterous parasite of the valley grasshopper (Oedaleonotus enigma) and ebony grasshopper (Boopedon nubilum).
Polistes aurifer
Golden Paper Wasp
Polistes aurifer is a social paper wasp native to western North America, ranging from southern Canada to northern Mexico. The species exhibits pronounced geographic color variation, from predominantly black northern forms to yellow southwestern forms and ferruginous southern populations. It constructs exposed paper nests in sheltered locations and is a generalist predator of caterpillars and other insects. The species has been subject to taxonomic revision, having been treated as a subspecies of P. fuscatus in some classifications, though recent treatments maintain it as distinct.
Polites sabuleti
Sandhill Skipper, Saltgrass Skipper
Polites sabuleti is a small grassland skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, native to western North America from southern British Columbia to Baja California and east to the Rocky Mountains. It has been introduced to Hawaii. The species is notable for its association with weedy grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), and has experienced significant population declines in parts of its range, particularly in California's Sierra Valley.
Polyphylla arguta
Polyphylla arguta is a species of lined June beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The species belongs to a genus whose members are typically associated with sandy habitats and are nocturnally active, attracted to lights.
Polyphylla crinita
Long-haired June Beetle
Polyphylla crinita, commonly known as the Long-haired June Beetle, is a large scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is distinguished from closely related species by the presence of setae (hair) on the pronotum. The species occurs in western North America, with records from California north to British Columbia and east to Wyoming, as well as in Baja California, Mexico. Like other members of the genus Polyphylla, males are attracted to lights at night and possess enlarged, fan-like antennae used to detect female sex pheromones.
Polyphylla decemlineata
Ten-lined June Beetle, Watermelon Beetle
Polyphylla decemlineata is a large scarab beetle native to western North America, commonly known as the Ten-lined June Beetle or Watermelon Beetle. Adults are notable for their distinctive ten white stripes on dark elytra and greatly enlarged, fan-like antennae in males. The species is strongly attracted to lights and exhibits distinctive pheromone-mediated mating behavior where males actively search for flightless females. Larvae develop underground, feeding on roots of grasses and other plants.
Polyphylla nigra
Polyphylla nigra is a scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Casey in 1914. It belongs to the genus Polyphylla, commonly known as lined June beetles, which are characterized by large body size and sexually dimorphic antennae. The species is distributed in western North America and parts of Mexico. Like other members of its genus, males likely possess enlarged, fan-like antennae used to detect female sex pheromones.
Polyphylla sobrina
Polyphylla sobrina is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as the ten-lined June beetle. It is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in California, Nevada, and Utah. The species belongs to a genus characterized by males with enlarged, fan-like antennae used to detect female sex pheromones. Research on this species has been notably challenging due to the extremely small quantities of its pheromone, which has resisted isolation and structural identification for decades.
Pontia beckerii
Becker's white, Great Basin white, sagebrush white
Pontia beckerii is a butterfly in the family Pieridae, commonly known as Becker's white, Great Basin white, or sagebrush white. It ranges across western North America from Baja California, Mexico to southern British Columbia, Canada. The species is closely related to other checkered whites in the genus Pontia and shares their general ecology, with larvae feeding on various mustard family plants.
Pontia occidentalis
Western White
Pontia occidentalis, commonly known as the western white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae native to western North America. Adults have a wingspan of 38–53 mm and exhibit distinctive wing markings including lighter marginal forewing markings and gray-green veining on the underside. The species shows reduced flight activity in forest habitat compared to alpine meadow habitat. Larval host plants are members of Brassicaceae, with caterpillars feeding primarily on flowers, buds, and fruit.
Pontia sisymbrii
Spring White, California White, Colorado White
Pontia sisymbrii, commonly known as the Spring White, is a small butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is one of the earliest butterflies to appear in spring in western North America, often emerging before the vernal equinox. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with males typically white and females sometimes yellowish. It is closely associated with mustard family host plants and has a single generation annually at higher elevations, with two generations at lower elevations.
Populicerus formosus
Populicerus formosus is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Eurymelinae. It is associated with Populus (poplar/cottonwood) host plants, as indicated by its genus name. The species has been documented across western North America from Alaska to Arizona.
Populicerus pallidus
Populicerus pallidus is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Eurymelinae. It was described by Fitch in 1851. The species is associated with poplar (Populus) hosts, as indicated by its genus name. It is found in western North America from Canada through the western United States.
Prasinalia
Prasinalia is a genus of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) established by Casey in 1909. The genus contains at least two recognized species: Prasinalia cuneata (Horn, 1868) and Prasinalia imperialis (Barr, 1969). Based on field observations by buprestid specialists, species in this genus are considered significant finds for collectors and are associated with western North American habitats, particularly in southern California and the southwestern United States.
Priacma
Priacma is a genus of reticulated beetles (family Cupedidae) containing one extant species, Priacma serrata, found in western North America. The genus also includes fossil species, notably P. megapuncta from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber. Priacma represents one of the few surviving lineages of the once-diverse Archostemata, an ancient suborder of beetles. The genus was established by J. L. LeConte in 1874.
Priacma serrata
Priacma bleach beetle
Priacma serrata is the sole extant species in the genus Priacma, a relict lineage of reticulated beetles in the family Cupedidae. Males are strongly attracted to the odor of bleach and other chlorine-based compounds, a unique behavioral trait that facilitates collection and study. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism, with females substantially larger than males and rarely encountered. Adult males possess non-functional digestive tracts and do not feed. Populations display episodic mass emergence events rather than continuous adult activity.
Priocnessus coloradensis
Priocnessus coloradensis is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1910. The genus Priocnessus comprises spider wasps that are specialist predators of spiders. This species is known from limited observations, with only three records documented on iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.
Prionus californicus
California root borer, California prionus
Prionus californicus is a large, sexually dimorphic longhorned beetle native to western North America. Adults emerge from soil in early summer and are active from June through August. Females are larger than males and produce a volatile sex pheromone to attract mates, while males possess more strongly serrated antennae. The species spends most of its life cycle underground as root-feeding larvae, making it a significant pest of orchards, vineyards, and other woody plants.
Pristaulacus auricomus
Pristaulacus auricomus is a species of aulacid wasp in the family Aulacidae. These parasitoid wasps are specialized predators of wood-boring beetle larvae, particularly those of longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) and jewel beetles (Buprestidae). Like other members of the genus, they are most commonly encountered in association with freshly cut or decaying wood where their hosts develop. The species is poorly documented in published literature, with limited observational records.
Pristaulacus foxleei
Pristaulacus foxleei is a species of aulacid wasp in the family Aulacidae, described by Townes in 1950. It is native to North America, with records from western Canada including British Columbia. Like other members of its genus, it is a parasitoid wasp associated with wood-boring beetles. The species is one of approximately 32 aulacid species documented in North America.
Prokelisia salina
Prokelisia salina is a species of planthopper in the family Delphacidae, first described by Ball in 1902. It belongs to a genus of small, delicate insects commonly known as mealybugs or planthoppers that are associated with grasses and sedges. The species epithet 'salina' suggests an association with saline or salt-affected habitats. Like other delphacids, it possesses a characteristic spur on the hind tibia and feeds on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Prolibia rufescens
Prolibia rufescens is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Osoriinae, described by Hatch in 1957. It is a small beetle with documented occurrences in western North America. The specific epithet "rufescens" refers to a reddish coloration. As a member of the Osoriinae, it belongs to a group of litter-dwelling rove beetles typically found in moist, decomposing organic matter.
Prolimacodes trigona
Western Skiff Moth
Prolimacodes trigona, known as the Western Skiff Moth, is a species of slug caterpillar moth in the family Limacodidae. It is one of two species in the genus Prolimacodes, alongside the more widespread P. badia (Skiff Moth). The species is found in western North America and is characterized by its distinctive triangular or skiff-like resting posture as an adult. The larvae are slug caterpillars, a characteristic form for the family Limacodidae.
Prolita barnesiella
Prolita barnesiella is a gelechiid moth species described by August Busck in 1903. It is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of 22–27 mm, characterized by variable brown forewings with distinctive dark markings including an arrowhead-shaped pattern on the disc. The species occurs in western North America from the southwestern United States to Alberta, Canada. It belongs to the tribe Litini within the subfamily Gelechiinae.
Prolita geniata
Prolita geniata is a small gelechiid moth described by Ronald W. Hodges in 1966. It is known from a restricted range in the western United States, specifically California and Nevada. The species exhibits distinctive wing patterning with brown forewings that lighten to buff white at the tips, marked by nearly black discal spots. Very few observations of this species have been documented.
Prolita incicur
Prolita incicur is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Ronald W. Hodges in 1966. It occurs in western North America, with records from California, Nevada, Wyoming, Oregon, and Colorado. The species has a wingspan of 17–27 mm and exhibits distinctive pale buff to orange forewings with brown markings.
Prolita princeps
Prolita princeps is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by August Busck in 1910. It is found in western North America, with records from California, Washington, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, and British Columbia. The wingspan ranges from 16.5 to 20 mm. The species is characterized by distinctive scale patterns on the forewings, with buff white and brown coloration.
Promecognissimus laevissimus
smooth millipede hunter
Promecognathus laevissimus is a ground beetle specializing in predation on cyanide-producing millipedes. It possesses exceptional physiological tolerance to hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde, toxins that incapacitate most other predators. The species exhibits unique prey-handling behaviors and has been extensively studied for its biochemical resistance mechanisms, which may have potential applications in human medicine for cyanide poisoning treatment.
Pronotocrepis clavicornis
Pronotocrepis clavicornis is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Knight in 1929. It belongs to the genus Pronotocrepis, a group of mirid bugs within the suborder Heteroptera. The species is documented from western North America, with records spanning from southwestern Canada through the western United States.
Properigea niveirena
Properigea niveirena is a small noctuid moth with a wingspan of 28–32 mm, distributed across western North America from Vancouver Island to New Mexico. Adults are active in mid-summer, with flight records from July to early August. The species was first described by Leon F. Harvey in 1876 and is assigned MONA/Hodges number 9596.
Prorasea praeia
Prorasea praeia is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Evergestinae. It was described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1917. The species is known from western North America, with records from the southwestern United States and western Canada. Available information is limited; larvae and adult biology remain poorly documented.
Prorella neremorata
Prorella neremorata is a species of moth in the family Geometridae, subfamily Larentiinae. It is a small, relatively obscure species with limited published documentation. The species is part of a genus containing several similar small geometrid moths found in western North America.