Wingless
Guides
Ceuthophilus uhleri
Uhler's camel cricket
Ceuthophilus uhleri is a North American species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. Like other members of its genus, it is wingless and possesses exceptionally long antennae adapted for navigating dark environments. The species is found in the eastern and central United States, with records from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. It inhabits cool, damp, dark microhabitats and is primarily nocturnal.
Ceuthophilus utahensis
Utah camel cricket
Ceuthophilus utahensis, the Utah camel cricket, is a wingless orthopteran in the family Rhaphidophoridae. The species is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Like other camel crickets, it is adapted to dark, moist microhabitats. The species was described by Thomas in 1876.
Ceuthophilus yavapai
Yavapai Camel Cricket
Ceuthophilus yavapai is a camel cricket species in the family Rhaphidophoridae, first described by Hubbell in 1936. It belongs to a genus of wingless crickets commonly associated with dark, humid habitats. The species is known from Arizona and is part of the North American camel cricket fauna, which includes species often found in caves, woodlands, and occasionally human structures. Like other Ceuthophilus, it likely possesses the enlarged hind legs and long antennae characteristic of camel crickets.
Chionea
Snow Flies, Snow Crane Flies
Chionea is a genus of wingless crane flies in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as snow flies. The genus contains approximately 37-40 recognized species distributed across the northern hemisphere, with two subgenera: the Holarctic Chionea and the Palearctic Sphaeconophilus. Adults are uniquely adapted to cold environments and are active during winter months, walking across snow surfaces at sub-zero temperatures. The wingless condition is associated with energy conservation in freezing conditions, with flight muscles replaced by expanded egg storage capacity in females.
Chionea albertensis
snow fly
Chionea albertensis is a wingless crane fly in the family Limoniidae, first described by Charles Paul Alexander in 1941. As a member of the 'snow fly' genus Chionea, it is adapted to cold environments and has been observed active on snow surfaces during winter months. The species is known from western North America, with records from Alberta, British Columbia, and southward to Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Like other Chionea species, it lacks wings and has modified life history traits associated with subnivean habitats.
Chionea alexandriana
snow fly
Chionea alexandriana is a wingless crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as a snow fly. It is active during winter months on snow fields in western North American mountains. Adults are small, measuring 4-8 mm, and are distinguished from related species by specific morphological traits including short antennae and body coloration.
Chionea carolus
Chionea carolus is a wingless crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as a "snow fly." It inhabits subnivean environments beneath snow in western North America, particularly in California and Nevada. Adults are active during winter months, crawling on snow surfaces when temperatures are mild enough. The species exhibits remarkable cold tolerance through glycerol-based antifreeze compounds and specialized enzymes that allow metabolic function at low temperatures.
Chionea obtusa
Chionea obtusa is a wingless crane fly in the family Limoniidae, one of sixteen North American species in the genus Chionea commonly known as "snow flies." Described by George Byers in 1983, this species inhabits the Nearctic region of western North America. Like other Chionea species, adults are active during winter months and are adapted to cold environments, though specific biological details for C. obtusa remain largely unstudied.
Chionea scita
snow crane fly, snow fly
Chionea scita is a wingless crane fly native to North America, notable for its winter activity and ability to walk on snow at temperatures as low as 14°F. Adults emerge between September and February, with peak activity in November and December. The species is commonly found in the northeastern United States and Canada, extending south to Georgia and Tennessee. Both sexes are yellow-brown, hairy, and spider-like in appearance, with body lengths of 5–8 mm.
Chionea stoneana
snow fly
Chionea stoneana is a wingless crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as a 'snow fly.' Adults are active during winter months and are frequently observed crawling on snow surfaces. The species occurs in the central United States, ranging from Minnesota and Indiana south to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Like other members of its genus, it possesses physiological adaptations for cold tolerance, including glycerol in its body fluids that acts as an antifreeze.
Chionea valga
snow fly
Chionea valga is a wingless crane fly commonly known as the snow fly. It is active during winter months, crawling across snow surfaces in cold conditions when most other insects are dormant. Adults are dark-bodied and lack wings entirely, with females storing eggs in the thoracic cavity normally occupied by flight muscles. The species occupies subnivean microhabitats—spaces beneath snow created by vegetation and rodent tunnels—where temperatures remain milder than surface conditions.
Cimicidae
bed bugs, cimicids
Cimicidae is a family of small, wingless, blood-feeding parasitic insects comprising over 100 species. Members are obligate hematophages of warm-blooded vertebrates, primarily bats, birds, and humans. The family is notable for traumatic insemination, a unique reproductive strategy where males pierce the female abdominal wall to deposit sperm. Cimicids harbor bacterial symbionts in specialized mycetome organs that may assist with nutrient acquisition. The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is the most widely known member and a significant urban pest.
Cnemotettix spinulus
Cnemotettix spinulus is a species of camel cricket in the family Anostostomatidae, described by Rentz and Weissman in 1973. It belongs to a genus of small, wingless orthopterans found in western North America. The species is known from very few observations, reflecting either genuine rarity or cryptic habits. Like other members of Anostostomatidae, it is likely nocturnal and ground-dwelling.
Cryptocercidae
brown-hooded cockroaches, wood roaches
Cryptocercidae is a family of wingless, subsocial cockroaches comprising the single genus Cryptocercus. These insects are obligate inhabitants of decaying wood in temperate montane forests across eastern Asia and North America. They exhibit extended parental care and share wood-digesting gut symbionts with termites, supporting the hypothesis of termite evolution from within cockroaches. The family is notable for its limited dispersal ability and sensitivity to forest succession patterns.
Cryptocercus
wood roach, brown-hooded cockroach
Cryptocercus is a genus of wingless, wood-feeding cockroaches representing the sole member of family Cryptocercidae. These subsocial insects exhibit extended parental care and family-based social structure. The genus holds exceptional phylogenetic significance as the closest living relative to termites, sharing lignocellulose-digesting gut symbionts and providing key evidence for the evolutionary origin of termite eusociality from cockroach ancestors. Twelve described species inhabit temperate forests of North America and eastern Asia.
Cryptocercus punctulatus
brown-hooded cockroach, woodroach, wingless wood roach, eastern wood-eating cockroach
Cryptocercus punctulatus is a wingless, wood-feeding cockroach endemic to montane forests of the eastern United States. It is one of the few subsocial cockroach species, exhibiting extended biparental care of offspring over multiple years. The species harbors obligate cellulolytic flagellate symbionts in its hindgut, transferred to neonates through proctodeal trophallaxis by parents. Its life history—xylophagy, social behavior, and gut symbiosis—makes it a key model for understanding the evolutionary origins of termite eusociality.
Dactylotum bicolor
Rainbow grasshopper, Painted grasshopper, Barber pole grasshopper
Dactylotum bicolor is a small, flightless grasshopper known for its striking aposematic coloration of black with red, yellow, and green markings. Native to shortgrass prairie and desert grasslands of western North America, it exhibits a complex life cycle with nymphs showing specialized feeding behavior on Wright's false willow (Baccharis wrightii) in parts of its range. The species demonstrates active thermoregulation through behavioral positioning relative to host plants and sunlight. Its bright warning coloration has been experimentally validated as effective aposematism against vertebrate predators.
Daihinibaenetes arizonensis
Arizona giant sand treader cricket
Daihinibaenetes arizonensis is a wingless orthopteran in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to sand dune habitats near Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. It is among the largest members of its genus, with collected specimens exceeding 2 cm in length. The species exhibits nocturnal activity and specialized fossorial behavior, digging burrows up to 18 inches deep in sand. It is active primarily in spring and is presumed to perish during summer heat.
Dasycerinae
Dasycerinae is a small subfamily of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) containing one extant genus (Dasycerus) and three extinct genera. These beetles are characterized by their compact body form with elytra that cover or nearly cover the abdomen, unlike the typically abbreviated elytra of most rove beetles. The subfamily is notable for its relictual distribution and association with moist forest habitats.
Diapheromera covilleae
creosote bush walkingstick
Diapheromera covilleae, the creosote bush walkingstick, is a wingless stick insect endemic to the Sonoran Desert region. Adults range from 5–10 cm in length with pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are larger, grey in coloration, and 3–4 cm longer than males, which are brown. The species exhibits strong host-plant fidelity to creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and related desert vegetation. It is strictly nocturnal and highly cryptic, making detection difficult despite being locally abundant.
Diapheromera femorata
Northern Walkingstick, Common Walkingstick
Diapheromera femorata is the most widespread and economically significant stick insect native to the United States. Adults reach 75–95 mm in length, with females typically larger than males. The species is notable for periodic outbreak populations that can cause localized defoliation of trees, particularly oaks. It is the only phasmid of documented economic importance in North America, with historical outbreaks affecting thousands of hectares in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Diestrammena
Asian camel cricket, cave cricket, greenhouse camel cricket
Diestrammena is a genus of camel crickets (family Rhaphidophoridae) native to Asia, including Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Several species have become invasive in North America, particularly in residential basements, garages, and caves. These wingless crickets are characterized by their humpbacked appearance, extraordinarily long antennae, and powerful jumping legs. Research has shown that Asian camel crickets now dominate indoor environments in many parts of the eastern United States, having largely displaced native camel cricket species.
camel-cricketcave-cricketinvasive-speciesbasement-pestAsiaNorth-Americacave-ecosystemscavengerwinglessautotomygut-microbiomekeystone-speciesDiestrammena-japanicaDiestrammena-asynamoraTachycines-asynamorusRhaphidophoridaeOrthopteranocturnalthigmotaxisurban-ecologycave-adaptationmorphological-plasticitycompetitive-displacementgreenhouse-pestfish-baitDiestrammena asynamora
Greenhouse camel cricket, Asian camel cricket, Greenhouse stone cricket
Diestrammena asynamora, commonly known as the greenhouse camel cricket or Asian camel cricket, is a wingless orthopteran native to China and other parts of Asia. First detected in the United States in a Minnesota greenhouse in 1898, it has become the dominant camel cricket species in human dwellings across eastern North America, now comprising over 90% of camel crickets found in homes in regions like Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. This species thrives in dark, damp, cool environments including basements, crawl spaces, caves, and tool sheds.
Diplura
Two-pronged Bristletails
Diplura is an order of small, wingless, eyeless hexapods within the class Entognatha, characterized by a distinctive pair of caudal appendages (cerci) that give them their common name "two-pronged bristletails." The group comprises approximately 800 described species worldwide, ranging from 2 to 50 mm in length, with some species reaching up to 8 cm. They inhabit moist soil, leaf litter, humus, and caves across all continents except Antarctica. Diplurans possess concealed mouthparts (entognathous), long bead-like antennae, and the ability to autotomize their cerci when threatened.
Elachiptera
frit flies
Elachiptera is a genus of small frit flies in the family Chloropidae, subfamily Oscinellinae. The genus contains approximately 81 valid species distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia, with some species extending into the Oriental Region. Several species are known agricultural pests of cereal crops, with larvae feeding internally within stems of wheat and maize. The genus includes both fully winged and wingless (brachypterous) species.
Euhadenoecus fragilis
Tawney's Cave Cricket, tawneys cave cricket
Euhadenoecus fragilis is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It was described by Hubbell in 1978. The species is known from cave environments in North America, with documented occurrences in Virginia. Like other members of the family Rhaphidophoridae, it is wingless and adapted to subterranean habitats.
Eumastacidae
Monkey Grasshoppers, Matchstick Grasshoppers
Eumastacidae is a family of grasshoppers commonly known as monkey grasshoppers or matchstick grasshoppers. They are considered primitive within the Orthoptera and are characterized by their distinctive body posture with thin legs held at right angles to the body, often near the horizontal plane. Many species are wingless. The family exhibits its greatest diversity in the Neotropics, with most species inhabiting tropical regions. They feed on algae, ferns, and gymnosperms—ancient plant groups that reflect their primitive evolutionary status.
Eumorsea pinaleno
Pinaleno monkey grasshopper
Eumorsea pinaleno is a wingless grasshopper endemic to the Pinaleno Mountains of Arizona. It belongs to the family Eumastacidae, commonly known as monkey grasshoppers. The species is known from very few observations, and its biology remains poorly documented.
Floritettix aptera
Wingless Florida Grasshopper
Floritettix aptera, commonly known as the wingless Florida grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. The specific epithet "aptera" refers to its wingless condition, a distinctive trait among grasshoppers. The species is endemic to Florida and belongs to the genus Floritettix, which is part of the diverse Melanoplinae subfamily.
Gammarotettix aesculus
Gammarotettix aesculus is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It was described by Strohecker in 1951 and is known from California. Like other members of this family, it is wingless and adapted to dark, moist habitats.
Gammarotettix genitalis
Gammarotettix genitalis is a camel cricket species described by Caudell in 1916. It belongs to the subfamily Gammarotettiginae, a group of North American camel crickets characterized by distinctive genitalic features. The species has been documented across California with over 400 iNaturalist observations. It inhabits dark, moist microhabitats typical of rhaphidophorid crickets.
Gryllacrididae
raspy crickets, leaf-rolling crickets
Gryllacrididae is a family of non-jumping orthopterans in the suborder Ensifera, commonly known as raspy crickets or leaf-rolling crickets. The family occurs worldwide and contains over 600 species across more than 90 genera, organized into two subfamilies: Gryllacridinae and Hyperbaeninae. Members are distinguished by their unique ability to produce silk independently from other insects, which they use to construct shelters from folded leaves or to seal burrows in soil, sand, or wood. Historically, the family was broadly defined to include Stenopelmatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, which are now recognized as separate families.
Grylloblatta
ice crawler, rock crawler
Grylloblatta is a genus of ice-crawlers comprising 15 described species endemic to western North America. These insects represent an ancient lineage with obligate physiological dependence on stable near-freezing temperatures, with acute thermal tolerance between approximately -8.5°C and 10°C. The genus exhibits deep genetic subdivision and geographic structure, with diversification patterns tied to Pliocene-Pleistocene glacial cycles. Species occur in montane habitats, ice caves, glaciers, and subalpine forests, with some populations utilizing saproxylic habitats in beetle-killed trees.
Grylloblattodea
ice crawlers, rock crawlers
Grylloblattodea is a small order of extremophile insects commonly known as ice crawlers or rock crawlers. These wingless insects are adapted to cold environments and are found in montane habitats, caves, and subalpine forests across western North America and northeastern Asia. The order comprises approximately 25-30 described species in five extant genera, though significant undescribed diversity is suspected. Grylloblattids are predatory, feeding on other arthropods, and show remarkable cold tolerance. They are considered a relict lineage with ancient origins, closely related to Mantophasmatodea within the clade Xenonomia (order Notoptera).
Gymnoscirtetes morsei
Morse's wingless grasshopper
Gymnoscirtetes morsei, commonly known as Morse's wingless grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is characterized by its wingless condition, a notable trait within the genus. The species was described by Hebard in 1918 and is known from limited records in North America.
Gymnoscirtetes pusillus
little wingless grasshopper
Gymnoscirtetes pusillus, commonly known as the little wingless grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is native to North America, with records from Florida and Georgia. As suggested by its common name, this species is wingless or nearly so, distinguishing it from many other grasshopper species. The specific epithet 'pusillus' refers to its small size.
Halobates micans
Common Sea Skater
Halobates micans is a wingless marine water strider and the only pelagic insect genus member found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is circumglobal in tropical and subtropical seas, living exclusively at the sea-air interface. Adults measure 3.6–4.5 mm with males larger than females. The species exhibits remarkable adaptations for open ocean life including water-repellent body hairs, UV-absorbent cuticle, and exceptional skating agility. It is the most widespread Halobates species, occurring from approximately 40°N to 40°S in the Atlantic and also present in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Halticus apterus
Halticus apterus is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae. It is found across Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species has been documented feeding on a variety of host plants, particularly members of Fabaceae and Galium. It is a small, wingless or short-winged mirid with a broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents.
Hesperoboreus
Hesperoboreus is a genus of snow scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Boreidae) established by Norman Penny in 1977. Members of this genus are small, wingless insects adapted to cold environments. The genus is distinguished from the related Boreus by morphological features of the male genitalia. Very few observations exist, with only three records documented on iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.
Hesperoboreus brevicaudus
Hesperoboreus brevicaudus is a species of scorpionfly in the family Boreidae, commonly known as snow scorpionflies. The species was described by George Byers in 1961 and is one of several western North American species in the genus Hesperoboreus. Like other boreids, adults are active during cold months and are often found on snow. The specific epithet brevicaudus refers to the relatively short abdomen characteristic of this species.
Lepisma
silverfish
Lepisma is a genus of primitive wingless insects in the family Lepismatidae. The most familiar species is Lepisma saccharina, commonly known as the silverfish, which is a cosmopolitan commensal of humans. Members of this genus are characterized by their flattened, torpedo-shaped bodies, long antennae, and three caudal filaments. The genus name has neuter gender per ICZN Opinion 2427 (2018), affecting species epithet endings.
Lepisma saccharinum
Common Silverfish, Silverfish
Lepisma saccharinum, commonly known as the silverfish, is a small, wingless insect in the order Zygentoma. It derives its common name from its silvery coloration and fish-like undulating movements. This species is cosmopolitan in distribution and frequently found in human dwellings, where it feeds on starchy materials.
Lepismatidae
Typical Silverfishes
Lepismatidae is a family of primitive, wingless insects in the order Zygentoma, containing approximately 190-340 described species worldwide. The family includes the two most familiar domestic species: the silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) and the firebrat (Thermobia domestica). These ancient insects represent some of the earliest diverging lineages within Insecta, with origins dating back hundreds of millions of years. Members are characterized by elongated, flattened bodies covered in scales, three caudal filaments, and a complete absence of wings throughout their life cycle.
Leptotyphlinae
Leptotyphlinae is a subfamily of minute rove beetles (Staphylinidae) characterized by extreme miniaturization and subterranean adaptations. Adults are eyeless, wingless, and measure less than 1.8 mm in length. The subfamily contains at least nine genera and 13 species in North America, with records from western states and Florida.
Machilinae
Machilinae is a subfamily of bristletails within the family Machilidae, comprising one of the two major lineages of the jumping bristletail family. Members are small, wingless insects with the characteristic arched thorax and springing organ (furcula) that enables their distinctive jumping locomotion. The subfamily has been historically distinguished from the other machilid subfamily, Petrobiinae, primarily by subtle differences in abdominal appendage structure and scale patterns. Machilinae species are found across temperate and Mediterranean regions, often occupying rocky, coastal, or urban habitats.
Macrobaenetes algodonensis
Algodones Sand Treader Cricket
Macrobaenetes algodonensis, the Algodones Sand Treader Cricket, is a species of camel cricket described by Tinkham in 1962. It belongs to the family Rhaphidophoridae, a group of wingless, hump-backed crickets commonly known as camel or cave crickets. The species is endemic to the Algodones Dunes region of southeastern California, where it inhabits sandy desert environments. As a member of the genus Macrobaenetes, it shares adaptations for life in loose sand with related sand treader crickets.
Melophagus
sheep ked, sheep louse fly, sheep tick
Melophagus is a genus of wingless, blood-feeding flies in the family Hippoboscidae. All species are obligate ectoparasites of cloven-hoofed mammals in the family Bovidae, particularly sheep, cattle, goats, and related wild species. The genus is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but M. ovinus has been introduced worldwide with domestic sheep. These insects spend their entire life cycle on the host, with females giving birth to pupae that attach to wool fibers.
Microcoryphia
bristletails
Microcoryphia is an order of wingless hexapods commonly known as bristletails, representing one of the two extant orders of apterygote insects. They retain numerous ancestral characteristics that make them significant for understanding early insect evolution, including monocondylic mandibles and the ability to molt throughout their entire life. The group is distinguished by their laterally compressed bodies, large compound eyes, and three long caudal filaments. Approximately 500 species have been described worldwide, with new species continuing to be discovered in diverse habitats including leaf litter, rocky areas, and caves.
Myrmecoblatta
Ant Cockroaches
Myrmecoblatta is a genus of small cockroaches in the family Corydiidae, commonly called ant cockroaches. These insects are myrmecophiles, living in close association with ant colonies. The genus was established by Mann in 1914 and contains species found in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. They represent a specialized evolutionary lineage adapted to life within ant nests.
Myrmecophilidae
Ant Crickets, Ant-loving Crickets
Myrmecophilidae, commonly known as ant crickets or ant-loving crickets, are a small family of Orthoptera comprising fewer than 100 species across several genera. These minute, wingless crickets are obligate inquilines that live exclusively within ant nests, where they exhibit specialized morphological adaptations including reduced eyes, elongated antennae, and flattened bodies. The family has a global distribution with records from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands, though many species remain poorly documented. Members of this family do not produce sound and lack both wings and tympanal organs.