Western-north-america
Guides
Syngrapha celsa
plain silver Y, western conifer looper
Syngrapha celsa is a noctuid moth known as the plain silver Y or western conifer looper. The species was described by Henry Edwards in 1881 and occurs in western North America. Larvae are specialized feeders on coniferous trees in the families Pinaceae and Cupressaceae.
Syngrapha ignea
Mountain Beauty Moth, mountain beauty
Syngrapha ignea, commonly known as the mountain beauty moth, is a noctuid moth species described by Grote in 1863. It exhibits a notably broad geographic distribution spanning from northern Alaska to southern California and New Mexico, with an additional disjunct population in Labrador. The species occurs across boreal forest and subarctic habitats, suggesting adaptation to cooler montane and northern environments. It belongs to the subfamily Plusiinae, a group characterized by distinctive wing patterns and often diurnal or crepuscular activity.
Syngrapha orophila
Syngrapha orophila is a noctuid moth described by George Hampson in 1908. It is restricted to western North America, where it inhabits mountainous and northern coastal regions. The species has a single annual generation with adults active in mid-summer.
Syngrapha sackenii
Syngrapha sackenii is a noctuid moth described by Grote in 1877. It is restricted to the Rocky Mountains of the western United States, occurring in southwestern Montana, northeastern Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. Very few observations exist in public databases, with only five records documented on iNaturalist.
Synnoma lynosyrana
rabbitbrush webbing moth
Synnoma lynosyrana, the rabbitbrush webbing moth, is the sole species in the monotypic genus Synnoma. It belongs to the subfamily Tortricinae of the family Tortricidae. The species is found in western North America, with records from Arizona. Its common name suggests an association with rabbitbrush (Ericameria/Chrysothamnus species).
Syrphus opinator
Black-margined Flower Fly
Syrphus opinator, commonly known as the black-margined flower fly, is a species of hover fly in the family Syrphidae. Adults are frequently mistaken for honey bees due to their similar appearance and behavior. The species is found in western North America, including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and California. Like other members of the subfamily Syrphinae, its larvae are predatory, feeding on aphids.
Systoechus oreas
Systoechus oreas is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. It is known from western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada and the western United States. The larvae are predators of grasshopper eggs, a trait that distinguishes this species ecologically from many other bee flies. Adults are active in the fall, in contrast to the spring-active members of the related genus Bombylius.
Tachinus crotchii
Crotch's Tachinus
Tachinus crotchii is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by George Henry Horn in 1877. It is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in British Columbia, California, Oregon, and Washington. Like other members of the genus Tachinus, it is associated with forest floor habitats and decaying organic matter. The species is named after George Robert Crotch, a British entomologist who collected extensively in North America.
Tachypompilus unicolor
Western Red-tailed Spider Wasp, Red-tailed Spider Hunter
Tachypompilus unicolor is a solitary spider wasp endemic to western North America. The species exhibits striking sexual dimorphism in coloration and wing morphology. Adults are nectar-feeders, while females provision nests with paralyzed spiders as food for their larvae. Two subspecies are recognized, distinguished primarily by body and wing coloration.
Taenionema oregonense
Oregon Willowfly
Taenionema oregonense, commonly known as the Oregon Willowfly, is a species of winter stonefly in the family Taeniopterygidae. The species was described by Needham & Claassen in 1925. It belongs to the order Plecoptera, a group of aquatic insects whose nymphs develop in freshwater habitats.
Tanaops basalis
Tanaops basalis is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae. The species is native to North America, with records from the western United States. Like other members of Andrenidae, females are solitary ground-nesters that provision brood cells with pollen and nectar. Males are often observed patrolling areas near female nesting sites.
Tanaops coelestinus
Tanaops coelestinus is a species of soft-bodied plant beetle in the family Melyridae. The genus Tanaops belongs to the subfamily Malachiinae, commonly known as malachiid beetles or soft-winged flower beetles. Very few observations of this species exist in public databases, indicating it is either rare, poorly surveyed, or restricted in distribution. Members of this genus are generally associated with flowers and vegetation where they prey on small arthropods.
Tanyrhinus
Tanyrhinus is a monotypic genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) containing a single species, Tanyrhinus singularis. It is distinguished from most rove beetles by its elongated elytra that nearly cover the entire abdomen. The genus is restricted to western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada, and several Pacific coast US states. Its closest relative is the genus Trigonodemus.
Tanystoma diabolica
Diabolical Ironclad Beetle
Tanystoma diabolica, commonly known as the diabolical ironclad beetle, is a flightless beetle native to western North America. The species is renowned for exceptional mechanical durability, withstanding crushing forces up to 39,000 times its body weight. Its elytra feature densely layered, interlocking structures that inspired engineering research into tough, flexible materials. The beetle feeds on fungi growing beneath tree bark.
Taracidae
Taracid Harvestmen
Taracidae is a family of harvestmen (Opiliones) established by Schönhofer in 2013, containing four genera and 23 described species. The family includes the genera Taracus, Oskoron, Hesperonemastoma, and Crosbycus, though the placement of the latter two remains taxonomically disputed. Members are primarily distributed in western North America, with some species exhibiting troglomorphic adaptations suggesting cave-dwelling habits.
Taracus
Taracus is a genus of small harvestmen (Opiliones) in the family Taracidae. Most species inhabit limestone and lava caves in western North America, with body lengths ranging from 2.0 to 5.5 mm. The genus contains 14 described species as of 2023, predominantly distributed across the United States with limited representation in Russia.
Taracus carmanah
Taracus carmanah is a species of harvestman (Opiliones: Ischyropsalidoidea: Taracidae) described in 2016 from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The species name refers to Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, a protected old-growth forest area on southwestern Vancouver Island. It was described as part of a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus Taracus, which included redescription of all previously named species and description of eight new species across western North America.
Taracus spesavius
Taracus spesavius is a harvestman species described in 2016 from Nevada, United States. It belongs to the family Taracidae, a group of small to medium-sized ischyropsalidoid harvestmen found in western North America. The species was established during a comprehensive revision of the genus Taracus that expanded the known distribution of the genus to include Nevada and several other western states and Canadian provinces.
Taracus taylori
Taracus taylori is a species of harvestman (Opiliones: Taracidae) described from Nevada in 2016. It belongs to the genus Taracus, a group of ischyropsalidoid harvestmen found in western North America. The species was established during a comprehensive revision of the genus that redescribed all previously named species and described multiple new species.
Taracus ubicki
A small harvestman species in the family Taracidae, described from California in 2016 as part of a major revision of the genus Taracus. The species is one of eight new Taracus species described in that work, expanding known diversity in western North American ischyropsalidoid harvestmen.
Tebenna gemmalis
Jeweled Tebenna
Tebenna gemmalis, commonly known as the Jeweled Tebenna, is a small moth in the family Choreutidae. It occurs in western North America from California to British Columbia. Adults are active during spring and early summer, with flight records from April through July in California.
Telamona vestita vestita
Telamona vestita vestita is a subspecies of treehopper in the family Membracidae, native to western North America. As a member of the tribe Telamonini, it possesses the characteristic enlarged pronotum typical of the genus Telamona. The subspecies was described by Ball in 1925 and is known from California and Oregon. Like other treehoppers, it is presumed to feed on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts, though specific host plant associations for this subspecies have not been documented in the available literature.
Temnoscheila chlorodia
green bark-gnawing beetle, green bark beetle, Pine Trogossitid Beetle
Temnoscheila chlorodia is a bark-gnawing beetle in the family Trogossitidae, known by common names including green bark-gnawing beetle and Pine Trogossitid Beetle. Adults are metallic green or blue predators that forage beneath bark of dead trees. The species occurs in western North America and shows bimodal adult activity in late spring and late summer. Both adults and larvae are predatory, hunting in decaying wood and associated with wood-boring insect nests and wood-decay fungi.
Temnothorax caguatan
Temnothorax caguatan is a species of small myrmicine ant described in 2014 from California, USA. It belongs to a genus of cavity-nesting ants known for nesting in pre-existing cavities such as hollow acorns, twigs, and rock crevices. The species was one of ten new Temnothorax species described from California in a single study, effectively doubling the known species diversity of this genus in the state. Like other members of Temnothorax, it is likely a generalist scavenger with colonies of moderate size.
Temnothorax nevadensis
Nevada Acorn Ant
Temnothorax nevadensis is a species of acorn ant in the family Formicidae, originally described by Wheeler in 1903. Like other members of the genus, it is a small ant species that typically nests in preformed cavities such as hollow nuts or acorns. The species is part of a diverse genus containing over 350 species worldwide, with approximately 60 species known from North America.
Temnothorax rugatulus
Western Acorn Ant
Temnothorax rugatulus is a small myrmicine ant species native to western North America, notable for its sophisticated collective decision-making behaviors and remarkable polymorphism in queen size. The species exhibits two distinct queen morphs: large macrogynes associated with single-queen (monogynous) colonies, and smaller microgynes found in multiple-queen (polygynous) colonies. This species has become an important model organism for studying social insect behavior, communication, and the molecular mechanisms underlying caste determination and phenotypic plasticity.
Tenthredo maxima
Tenthredo maxima is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae, characterized by a broad connection between thorax and abdomen lacking the narrow 'wasp waist' of other Hymenoptera. The species comprises two recognized subspecies: T. m. maxima and T. m. retura (formerly T. retura). It occupies a unique phylogenetic position within the genus, forming its own species group with no close relatives in North America. The species has been extensively studied for its geographic variation across western North American mountain systems.
Tesarius oregonensis
Tesarius oregonensis is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It was described by Cartwright in 1955. The species is found in western North America, ranging from British Columbia, Canada southward through Oregon to California. As a member of the subfamily Aphodiinae, it is associated with dung and decaying organic matter. Very little specific information has been published regarding its biology or ecology.
Tetracis jubararia
October thorn moth, October Thorn
Tetracis jubararia is a geometrid moth known as the October thorn moth. It occurs in western North America with two recognized subspecies occupying distinct elevational zones. Adults fly in late summer and autumn. Larvae feed on a diverse range of woody plants including both angiosperms and conifers.
Tetracis pallulata
Tetracis pallulata is a geometrid moth first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1887. The species is restricted to western North America, with adults active in late summer and fall. Larvae feed on conifers in several genera including Abies, Picea, Pseudotsuga, and Tsuga. The species has been treated under the synonym Synaxis pallulata in some taxonomic treatments.
Tetralimonius ornatulus
Tetralimonius ornatulus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. Based on available collection records, this species has been documented in western Texas and New Mexico, with specimens collected from soapberry (Sapindus saponaria) vegetation. Adults have been observed during late spring and early summer, with collection dates in May and June. The species appears to be associated with riparian and woodland habitats where its host plants occur.
Tetraopes femoratus
Red-femured Milkweed Borer
Tetraopes femoratus is a longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) in the subfamily Lamiinae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1847. It is one of several North American milkweed borer beetles in the genus Tetraopes, all of which are specialized feeders on milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). The species occurs across western and central North America from Canada to Mexico, with records from the western United States and Great Plains region. Adults are typically encountered in late summer and fall, with September collecting records from Oklahoma and late August observations from sagebrush habitats in Nevada.
Tetropium parallelum
Tetropium parallelum is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Casey in 1891. It belongs to the genus Tetropium, which comprises woodboring beetles primarily associated with coniferous trees. The species is recorded from western North America, including Alberta, Canada and the United States. Like other members of its genus, it likely develops in dead or dying conifer wood, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Tetropium undescribed
An undescribed species in the longhorned beetle genus Tetropium, collected during nocturnal fieldwork in ponderosa pine forest in southwestern Utah. The specimen was found on the trunk of a large, recently-dead ponderosa pine alongside other woodboring beetles including Arhopalus species and Trogossitidae. This represents one of numerous undescribed cerambycid species awaiting formal taxonomic description.
Tetropium velutinum
Western Larch Borer
Tetropium velutinum, commonly known as the Western Larch Borer, is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1869. The species is associated with coniferous forests of western North America, particularly with larch trees (Larix spp.) which serve as its larval host. Like other members of the genus Tetropium, adults are typically attracted to recently dead or dying host trees.
Texananus oregonus
Texananus oregonus is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Deltocephalinae. It was described by Ball in 1931 from Oregon. The species is recorded from western North America including Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California. It is a member of the genus Texananus, a group of small leafhoppers in the tribe Scaphoideini.
Thallophaga nigroseriata
Thallophaga nigroseriata is a geometrid moth in the subfamily Ennominae, described by Packard in 1873. It is known from western North America. Very few observations of this species have been documented, with only four records on iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.
Thanatophilus coloradensis
Thanatophilus coloradensis is a species of carrion beetle in the family Silphidae. It is found in western North America, with records from Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Alaska, and British Columbia. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with decomposing animal remains. The species was described by Wickham in 1902.
Thanatus altimontis
Thanatus altimontis is a running crab spider in the family Philodromidae, first described by Gertsch in 1933. As a member of the genus Thanatus, it shares the characteristic ground-dwelling hunting behavior typical of this group, contrasting with the vegetation-dwelling habits of related slender crab spiders (Tibellus). The species occurs in mountainous regions of western North America, with records from the western United States, Mexico, and western Canadian provinces. Like other Thanatus species, it likely overwinters as an adult and becomes active in early spring, when specimens have been observed basking on warm surfaces.
Thaumatopsis repandus
Thaumatopsis repandus is a moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1880. It is distributed across western North America, with records from British Columbia south to California and east to New Mexico and Colorado. The species belongs to the subfamily Crambinae, a group commonly known as grass moths.
Thevenetimyia luctifera
A species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, found in western North America from Mexico to British Columbia. As with other bee flies, adults likely feed on nectar and pollen, while larvae are presumed to be parasitoids of other insects. The species is documented by 26 observations on iNaturalist, suggesting it is encountered infrequently.
Thyce deserta
Thyce deserta is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae. It was described by Hardy in 1974 and is known from California, USA. As a member of the genus Thyce, it belongs to a group of melolonthine scarabs found in western North America.
Thyridanthrax andrewsi
bee fly
Thyridanthrax andrewsi is a species of bee fly (family Bombyliidae) found in the western United States. The species was described by Hall in 1970 and is one of approximately 4,500 described species of bee flies worldwide. Members of this genus are known parasitoids, with females depositing eggs into the nests of solitary wasps.
Thyridanthrax atratus
Thyridanthrax atratus is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. The species occurs in western North America, ranging from California and Nevada northward to British Columbia, Canada. Bee flies in this family are typically parasitoids of other insects, though specific host records for this species are limited.
Thyridanthrax nugator
Thyridanthrax nugator is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, native to western North America. The species is known from California and Oregon. As a member of the bee fly family, it likely exhibits the characteristic hovering flight and parasitic larval lifestyle typical of the group, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. The genus Thyridanthrax belongs to the tribe Villini within the subfamily Anthracinae.
Tibicinoides
Tibicinoides is a genus of cicadas in the family Cicadidae, established by Distant in 1914. The genus was recently reconstituted when most of its constituent species were transferred from the genus Okanagana, leaving only three original species. It currently contains 13 recognized species distributed in western North America. These cicadas are part of the subfamily Tibicininae and tribe Tibicinini.
Tibicinoides hesperia
Tibicinoides hesperia is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, subfamily Tibicininae. The species was described by Uhler in 1876 and is native to western North America. It is one of approximately 80 observations recorded on iNaturalist, indicating it is encountered with moderate frequency by naturalists. The species has been treated as a synonym of Okanagana hesperia in some taxonomic databases, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revision in this group of cicadas.
Tibicinoides rubrovenosa
Tibicinoides rubrovenosa is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae, originally described as Okanagana rubrovenosa by Davis in 1915. It belongs to the genus Tibicinoides, a group of small to medium-sized cicadas found in western North America. The species epithet 'rubrovenosa' refers to reddish venation in the wings, a characteristic feature. Like other Tibicinoides species, it is associated with coniferous forest habitats. The taxon has been documented through 64 iNaturalist observations, indicating it is not extremely rare but has limited published biological data.
Tibicinoides simulata
Tibicinoides simulata is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae, originally described by Davis in 1921 as Okanagana simulata before being transferred to the genus Tibicinoides. Like other members of the subfamily Tibicininae, it belongs to a group of cicadas characterized by specific morphological and acoustic traits. The species is part of a genus found in western North America, though detailed natural history information remains limited.
Tibicinoides uncinata
Tibicinoides uncinata is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, originally described as Okanagana uncinata by Van Duzee in 1915 before being transferred to the genus Tibicinoides. It belongs to the subfamily Tibicininae, a group of cicadas primarily distributed in western North America. The species epithet "uncinata" (meaning "hooked") likely refers to some morphological feature of the species. Very few observations of this species have been documented, with only six records in iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.