Western-us
Guides
Deserta obscura
Obscure Planthopper
Deserta obscura is a planthopper species in the family Dictyopharidae, known from the western United States. It belongs to a genus of small, often cryptic planthoppers that inhabit arid and semi-arid grasslands. The species has been documented in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, typically in association with shortgrass prairie and sagebrush steppe habitats. Like other members of the subfamily Orgeriinae, it likely feeds on grass species and exhibits limited dispersal capabilities.
Osmia aglaia
Oregon berry bee
Osmia aglaia is a solitary mason bee native to the western United States. It is commonly known as the Oregon berry bee due to its specialized role as a pollinator of brambles, particularly raspberries and blackberries. The species exhibits metallic coloration and nests in pre-existing wood tunnels. Adults are active in late spring, coinciding with Rubus bloom periods.
Pidonia aurata
Pidonia aurata is a small long-horned beetle in the subfamily Lepturinae, known from the western United States. Based on field observations, adults display a distinctive black-and-yellow color pattern and have been collected on flowers of Asteraceae and Malvaceae. The species appears to be active in early to mid-summer, with records from June at elevations around 7000 feet in northern Arizona.