Deserts & Drylands
207 species found in this habitat
African Giant Tiger Beetle
Manticora herculeana
The largest tiger beetle in the world, entirely black with enormous sickle-shaped mandibles. It is flightless and hunts ...
African Ground Mantis
Ligariella trigonalis
A small mottled grey-brown mantis adapted to hunting on the ground among stones and gravel. It is remarkably well camouf...
African Hide Beetle
Trox sabulosus
A small, rough-textured beetle covered in soil particles and debris that provide excellent camouflage. Its elytra have r...
African Tiger Beetle
Manticora latipennis
The world's largest tiger beetle, a fierce predator with massive jaws. It is flightless and hunts on the ground at night...
African Web Spinner
Embia savignyi
A medium-sized web spinner found across North Africa and the Middle East. It constructs silk tunnels under stones in sem...
Algerian Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila denticornis
A robust desert mantis with toothed antennae found in the rocky deserts of Algeria. It is among the larger species in th...
Ant-like Flower Beetle
Anthicus antherinus
A tiny beetle resembling an ant, found on flowers and under debris. Has a distinctive narrowed 'neck' between head and t...
Antlion
Myrmeleon formicarius
Larvae build conical sand pit traps to catch ants and other small insects. The larva waits buried at the bottom and flic...
Apache Cicada
Diceroprocta apache
A large green and brown cicada that sings loudly in the Sonoran Desert heat. Nymphs spend years underground feeding on r...
Arabian Darkling Beetle
Trachyderma hispida
A hairy, broad-bodied darkling beetle found in Arabian and North African deserts. Fine hairs on its body help trap a lay...
Arabian Desert Grasshopper
Sphingonotus rubescens
A small, sandy-colored band-winged grasshopper found across North Africa and the Middle East. Its blue hindwings are vis...
Arizona Unicorn Mantis
Pseudovates arizonae
A bark-mimicking mantis found in desert scrublands of the American Southwest. A small horn on its head gives it its comm...
Armored Ground Cricket
Acanthoplus discoidalis
A large heavily armored katydid with sharp spines on its thorax and legs. It is flightless and moves in large migratory ...
Armoured Ground Cricket
Acanthoplus longipes
A robust flightless katydid covered in sharp spines across its thorax and legs. It is an omnivorous insect found in arid...
Atlas Scarab
Scarabaeus atlas
A large, matte black roller dung beetle with a broad, shield-like head. It is closely related to the sacred scarab and i...
Australian Spoonwing
Chasmoptera hutti
One of the few Australian nemopterids, with distinctive elongated hindwings. Found in arid and semi-arid regions of sout...
Australian Tiger Beetle
Cicindela hudsoni
The fastest running insect on Earth, clocked at 2.5 meters per second (9 km/h). At 125 body lengths per second, it moves...
Australian Velvet Ant
Ephutomorpha queenslandica
An Australian wingless wasp with orange and black velvety coloring. It parasitizes ground-nesting native bees in tropica...
Banded Desert Darkling Beetle
Cryptoglossa muricata
A rough-textured desert beetle covered in tiny bumps that give it a warty appearance. It shelters under rocks and debris...
Banded Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis africana
A wingless wasp covered in dense orange and black velvety hair. Despite the name, it is actually a solitary wasp, not an...
Belkin's Dune Tabanid Fly
Brennania belkini
A rare horse fly known only from the El Segundo sand dunes in Los Angeles County. Larvae develop in the sand and adults ...
Black and Gold Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla nigripes
A medium-sized velvet ant with golden-orange hair on the thorax contrasting with its black legs and abdomen. It is found...
Black Web Spinner
Oligembia nigricans
A small dark web spinner found in arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa. It builds silk tunnels under rocks i...
Blue Death-feigning Beetle
Asbolus verrucosus
A rounded blue-grey desert beetle covered in a waxy powder-blue coating. When threatened it flips onto its back and play...
Blue-Winged Wasteland Beetle
Omocrates marginatus
A robust, flightless darkling beetle found in arid Australian landscapes. It is nocturnal and shelters under rocks durin...
Bordered Plant Bug
Largus californicus
A dark blue-black bug with bright orange margins common in arid parts of California. Nymphs are iridescent blue and gath...
Brazilian Cave Springtail
Trogolaphysa aelleni
A troglomorphic springtail from caves in the Brazilian semiarid region. It has elongated appendages and reduced pigmenta...
Cactoblastis Moth
Cactoblastis cactorum
Originally from South America, this moth was introduced to Australia in 1926 as a biological control agent against invas...
Cactus Bug
Chelinidea vittiger
A slender coreid bug that feeds on prickly pear cacti in arid North American habitats. Feeding damage causes characteris...
Cactus Dodger Cicada
Cacama valvata
A robust desert cicada that feeds on native desert shrubs in the American Southwest. Males produce a distinctive buzzing...
California Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex californicus
A small harvester ant found in hot deserts of the American Southwest. Colonies are often founded by groups of cooperatin...
Calleta Silk Moth
Eupackardia calleta
A dark brown silk moth with striking white crescent markings and a broad white postmedial band on each wing. It is nativ...
Carolina Metallic Tiger Beetle
Tetracha carolina
A large nocturnal tiger beetle with dark metallic green elytra and a bright green thorax. It is most active on warm summ...
Cellophane Bee
Colletes thoracicus
A spring-flying plasterer bee native to eastern North America with dense reddish-brown thoracic hair. It lines its brood...
Chigoe Flea
Tunga penetrans
A tiny tropical flea whose fertilized females burrow into the skin of the feet, causing painful swelling called tungiasi...
Cicada Killer Wasp
Sphecius speciosus
A large solitary wasp that provisions its burrow with paralyzed cicadas....
Cochineal Scale Insect
Dactylopius coccus
The source of carmine dye — one of the most important natural red pigments. Farmed on prickly pear cacti in Mexico since...
Colorado Leaf Beetle
Leptinotarsa juncta
A close relative of the Colorado potato beetle with similar striped elytra but alternating dark and light brown stripes ...
Colorado Walking Stick
Parabacillus coloradus
A small, slender walkingstick found in arid regions of the western United States. It is well adapted to desert scrubland...
Common Antlion
Myrmeleon immaculatus
A delicate lacewing-like insect whose larvae are famous pit-trap predators. Adults are nocturnal and resemble slender da...
Comstock's Green Lacewing
Chrysopa comanche
A medium-sized green lacewing native to the American Southwest. Frequently found in arid scrubland and desert-edge habit...
Cone Ant
Dorymyrmex insanus
A fast-moving reddish-brown ant that builds distinctive cone-shaped crater nests in sandy soil. It is a common competito...
Conehead Proturan
Acerentomon microrhinus
A minute proturan with a characteristically pointed head capsule found in European soils. It lacks antennae, using its f...
Conenose Bug
Triatoma protracta
A kissing bug native to the western United States that commonly enters homes to feed on sleeping residents. Its bite can...
Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle
Cicindela albissima
A nearly white tiger beetle perfectly camouflaged against the pink-white sand dunes of its sole habitat in southern Utah...
Creosote Bush Grasshopper Bug
Bootettix argentatus
A tiny plant bug exclusively associated with creosote bush in North American deserts. Its silvery-green coloring blends ...
Creosote Bush Walkingstick
Diapheromera covilleae
A desert-adapted walkingstick that feeds on creosote bush in the American Southwest. It matches the gray-green color of ...
Cromwell Chafer Beetle
Prodontria lewisii
A small chafer beetle endemic to a tiny area near Cromwell in Central Otago, New Zealand. Adults are nocturnal and feed ...
Dark-edged Bee-fly
Bombylius major discolor
A subspecies of the bee-fly with slightly different wing patterning found in eastern populations....
Darkling Beetle
Eleodes obscura
A flightless, black desert beetle that raises its abdomen in a headstand posture when threatened. It is well adapted to ...
Desert Amitermes
Amitermes wheeleri
A desert-adapted termite found in the arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Colonies build subterra...
Desert Antlion
Brachynemurus abdominalis
A large antlion species common in desert regions of North America. Unlike some relatives, its larvae hunt without buildi...
Desert Blond Tarantula Hawk
Pepsis thisbe
A large metallic blue-black spider wasp with vibrant orange wings found in the Sonoran Desert. Females hunt blonde taran...
Desert Cicada
Diceroprocta semicincta
A heat-loving cicada found throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Its shrill call is one of the most characteris...
Desert Clastoptera
Clastoptera arizonana
A tiny spittlebug found on desert shrubs in the American Southwest. Nymphs surround themselves with a frothy mass for mo...
Desert Clicker Grasshopper
Ligurotettix coquilletti
A small, slender grasshopper found exclusively on creosote bushes in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Males produce rapid...
Desert Cockroach
Arenivaga bolliana
A sand-dwelling cockroach native to the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Mexico. It spends most of its life buried in sand...
Desert Coreid
Mozena obtusa
A broad, dark leaf-footed bug found on mesquite and acacia in desert habitats. It sucks sap from developing seed pods....
Desert Cuckoo Bee
Nomada texana
A parasitic wasp-like bee that lays its eggs in the nests of other desert bees. Its larvae consume the host's pollen pro...
Desert Digger Bee
Centris pallida
A large, fuzzy solitary bee of the Sonoran Desert that nests in burrows in hard-packed soil. Males patrol nesting areas ...
Desert Fire Ant
Solenopsis aurea
A golden-colored fire ant native to the deserts of the American Southwest. It builds inconspicuous nests in sandy soil a...
Desert Firetail Damselfly
Telebasis salva
A bright red damselfly found at ponds and streams in the arid American Southwest. Males are vivid crimson while females ...
Desert Honeybee
Apis mellifera jemenitica
A small, heat-tolerant subspecies of honeybee native to the deserts of Africa and Arabia. It can forage at temperatures ...
Desert Lacewing
Chrysoperla comanche
A pale green lacewing adapted to arid environments of the American Southwest. Both adults and larvae are important preda...
Desert Large-headed Bee
Ctenocolletes nigricans
A dark-bodied, heat-tolerant bee found in arid inland Australia. It forages during the hottest parts of the day when mos...
Desert Navigator Ant
Cataglyphis fortis
A heat-tolerant Saharan ant famous for its extraordinary navigation abilities. It uses a built-in pedometer and polarize...
Desert Praying Mantis
Stagmomantis limbata
A medium-sized mantis common in desert and arid scrub habitats of western North America. Its coloring varies from green ...
Desert Sand Beetle
Erodius carinatus
A small, round, heavily armored darkling beetle of North African sandy deserts. It burrows into sand during the hottest ...
Desert Spider Beetle
Cysteodemus armatus
A bizarre inflated blister beetle with a bulbous, metallic blue-black abdomen. It waddles slowly through the Mojave and ...
Desert Stink Bug
Chlorochroa ligata
A green shield bug with a distinctive orange or red border found in arid western North America. It feeds on a variety of...
Desert Termite
Gnathamitermes tubiformans
A subterranean termite that builds mud tubes over dead grass and cow dung in desert environments. It plays a critical ro...
Desert Threadtail Damselfly
Protoneuridae sp.
A tiny, thread-thin damselfly found near desert springs and oases. It has one of the most restricted habitats of any dra...
Desert Tiger Beetle
Cicindela hemorrhagica
A bright red and green tiger beetle that hunts along the edges of desert streams and alkaline flats. It is an extremely ...
Desert Weevil
Brachycerus ornatus
A robust, intricately sculptured weevil found in arid southern African habitats. Its fused wing covers prevent flight bu...
Dune Rove Beetle
Bledius furcatus
A small, burrowing oxytelline rove beetle specialized for life in coastal sand dunes. Males have distinctive forked proj...
Egyptian Conehead Mantis
Empusa egena
A slender pale mantis found in arid regions of northeastern Africa and the Middle East. Its body coloring matches the dr...
Egyptian Desert Cockroach
Polyphaga aegyptiaca
A round, heavily armored cockroach found in North African and Middle Eastern deserts. It rolls into a ball when threaten...
Egyptian Spoonwing
Nemoptera aegyptiaca
A North African spoonwing with striking wing patterns and long trailing hindwings. Found in arid habitats from Egypt acr...
Field Cockroach
Blattella vaga
A small cockroach similar to the German cockroach but with a dark face. It lives outdoors in irrigated areas of the sout...
Fighting Soldier Thrips
Oncothrips tepperi
A eusocial Australian thrips that forms colonies inside galls on Acacia trees with distinct reproductive and soldier cas...
Filigree Skimmer
Pseudoleon superbus
A dragonfly with ornate banded wing patterns and arid habitat preferences....
Fog Basking Beetle
Onymacris unguicularis
A black desert beetle from the Namib that performs a distinctive headstand on sand dunes. Fog condenses on its body and ...
Forelius Ant
Forelius pruinosus
A tiny fast-running ant found across the Americas that is often the first to discover food sources. It has a pruinose co...
Fulviceps Termite
Amitermes hastatus
An Australian termite found in arid and semi-arid zones that builds small subterranean nests. Colonies are modest in siz...
Giant African Antlion
Palpares speciosus
A massive African antlion with strikingly marked black-and-yellow wings. One of the largest neuropteran insects in the w...
Giant African Darkling Beetle
Psammodes striatus
A large, robust black darkling beetle with grooved elytra found in arid sandy regions. It is flightless and walks long d...
Giant Malaysian Cricket
Brachytrupes portentosus
One of the largest crickets in the world with a robust brown body, powerful hind legs, and a loud, resonant chirping cal...
Giant Namib Darkling Beetle
Onymacris rugatipennis
One of the largest darkling beetles in the Namib, with deeply ridged wing covers. It is active during the day, running r...
Giant Palm Borer
Dinapate wrightii
One of the largest bostrichid beetles, with a cylindrical body adapted for boring into palm trunks. Larvae take years to...
Giant Pedunculate Ground Beetle
Anthia thoracica
A very large southern African ground beetle with bold white markings on a black body. It is one of the largest carabids ...
Gila Monster Beetle
Cysteodemus wislizeni
A round, metallic purple-blue blister beetle of the Chihuahuan Desert. It produces cantharidin as a powerful chemical de...
Glaresid Beetle
Glaresis inducta
A tiny, pale brown beetle in the enigmatic family Glaresidae within the Scarabaeoidea. It has a rounded body and short, ...
Golden Buprestid
Sternocera aequisignata
A large, robust jewel beetle with brilliant metallic green and gold elytra adorned with darker punctate depressions. It ...
Gray Bird Grasshopper
Schistocerca nitens
A large, strong-flying grasshopper of arid western North America. It is closely related to the desert locust but does no...
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus
A large solitary wasp with a golden-furred thorax and orange-red legs that digs burrows in sandy soil. It provisions its...
Greater Bee Fly
Bombylius canescens
A pale greyish bee fly with a long proboscis and clear wings. It parasitizes ground-nesting bees in arid Mediterranean h...
Hildebrand's Jewel Beetle
Sternocera hildebrandti
A large, robust jewel beetle with a deep metallic green body covered in fine punctures. It emerges in large numbers afte...
Hoary Edge Skipper
Achalarus lyciades
A dark brown spread-wing skipper with a frosted white patch along the outer margin of the hindwing underside. Its fast d...
Horned Baboon Spider-hunting Wasp
Sphex tomentosus
A large, solitary wasp with a black body and metallic blue-green sheen. It hunts grasshoppers and katydids, paralyzing t...
Iranian Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila iranensis
A small, pale mantis endemic to the deserts of Iran. It runs rapidly across gravel plains to ambush small invertebrate p...
Iron Cross Blister Beetle
Tegrodera aloga
A striking beetle with bright yellow and black cross-shaped markings on its elytra. It contains cantharidin, a potent bl...
Jerusalem Cricket
Stenopelmatus fuscus
A large, flightless insect with a round head and amber-banded abdomen found in western North America. Despite its name i...
Jewel Desert Beetle
Julodis cirrosa
A strikingly colorful jewel beetle with tufts of hair along its body. It inhabits arid Mediterranean and desert-edge scr...
Karner Blue
Plebejus samuelis
A tiny bright blue butterfly with orange crescents on the hindwing underside that depends entirely on wild lupine. It is...
Katanga Squeaker
Brachytrupes membranaceus
A very large burrowing cricket with a broad head and powerful jaws. It digs deep vertical burrows up to 50cm deep. Males...
Lana'i Sandalwood Moth
Iliahia pahulu
A critically endangered moth discovered in 2026, known only from a small grove of roughly 30 sandalwood trees on the isl...
Legionary Ant
Neivamyrmex nigrescens
The most common army ant species in the United States, conducting nocturnal column raids on other ant nests. Workers are...
Libyan Conehead Mantis
Empusa decorata
A decorated conehead mantis from the dry regions of North Africa. Its body has ornate markings that provide camouflage a...
Libyan Ground Mantis
Eremiaphila barbara
A stout desert mantis found across Libya and neighboring Saharan regions. It is nocturnal and shelters under rocks durin...
Light-colored Subterranean Termite
Heterotermes aureus
A desert-adapted subterranean termite common in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Colonie...
Lined June Beetle
Polyphylla decemlineata
A large scarab beetle with striking white-striped elytra found in western North America. Males have enormous lamellate a...
Long-jawed Desert Termite
Psammotermes hybostoma
A sand-dwelling termite found across the Sahara and arid North Africa, uniquely adapted to life in loose desert sands. C...
Long-Legged Desert Ant
Cataglyphis bicolor
A large, bicolored desert ant with a distinctive red thorax and black head and gaster. Workers are solitary foragers wit...
Macromeris Spider Wasp
Entypus unifasciatus
A large dark spider wasp with a single white or yellow band on the abdomen. It hunts large wolf spiders and trapdoor spi...
Malagasy Ant Lion
Palpares lenticularis
A large neuropteran with broad, spotted wings that resemble those of a dragonfly. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to ...
Malagasy Ground Beetle
Graphipterus multiguttatus
A strikingly patterned ground beetle with a flattened body covered in black and white spots. It is a fast runner that hu...
Malagasy Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla madagascariensis
Despite its name, this is actually a wingless female wasp covered in dense, velvety orange and black hair. Males are win...
Mexican Antlion
Vella americana
A robust antlion found across the southern United States and Mexico. Recognized by its large size and boldly marked fore...
Mexican Cactus Fly
Copestylum mexicanum
A large, dark hoverfly whose larvae develop in decaying cactus tissue. Adults are strong fliers visiting flowers in arid...
Mitchell's Diurnal Cockroach
Polyzosteria mitchelli
A large, flightless cockroach with a shiny dark blue-black body found in arid Australia. Unlike most cockroaches, it is ...
Mole Cricket with Four Dots
Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus
A short-winged mole cricket-like species from South America that has invaded the southeastern United States. Despite its...
Moroccan Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila moroccana
A small mantis endemic to the stony deserts of Morocco. Its reddish-brown body matches the iron-rich desert soils of its...
Moroccan Locust
Dociostaurus maroccanus
A small but destructive locust found in dry habitats across the Mediterranean and Central Asia. It forms dense hopper ba...
Namib Fog Beetle
Stenocara gracilipes
A darkling beetle that harvests drinking water from coastal fog in the Namib Desert. It tilts its body into the wind so ...
Namib Tenebrionid Beetle
Onymacris plana
A fast-running diurnal beetle of the Namib sand sea. It is one of the few desert insects active during peak midday heat....
Narrow-winged Bee Fly
Systoechus vulgaris
A small, hairy bee fly with a rounded body and a short proboscis compared to Bombylius species. It hovers at flowers in ...
Navel Orangeworm
Amyelois transitella
The most damaging pest of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios in California. Larvae bore into nuts and contaminate them wit...
New Zealand Katipo Spider
Latrodectus katipo
New Zealand's most venomous spider, found only on coastal sand dunes. Although an arachnid, it is one of New Zealand's m...
New Zealand Sand Scarab
Pericoptus truncatus
A large flightless scarab beetle endemic to sandy coastal habitats in New Zealand. It is nocturnal and burrows in sand d...
New Zealand Tiger Beetle
Neocicindela tuberculata
An endemic tiger beetle found on sandy and clay soils throughout New Zealand. It is an active visual predator that runs ...
Nomada Cuckoo Bee
Nomada marshamella
A wasp-like cuckoo bee with red and black markings that sneaks into andrena bee nests to lay its eggs....
Omorgus Hide Beetle
Omorgus suberosus
A medium-sized, rough-surfaced hide beetle with a brown to grey body covered in soil-encrusted tubercles. It is found in...
Oriental Hornet
Vespa orientalis
A large reddish-brown hornet with a distinctive yellow band on the abdomen. It is uniquely adapted to hot, arid climates...
Painted Bee Fly
Hemipenthes morio
A dark-bodied bee fly with characteristic half-blackened wings that give it a distinctive silhouette. It is commonly see...
Pallid-Winged Grasshopper
Trimerotropis pallidipennis
A well-camouflaged band-winged grasshopper with pale translucent hindwings. It is one of the most common grasshoppers in...
Palpares Antlion
Palpares immensus
An enormous antlion from sub-Saharan Africa with strikingly patterned wings. Among the largest flying neuropterans on th...
Paroster Subterranean Beetle
Paroster macrosturtensis
A blind subterranean diving beetle from groundwater calcretes in the Western Australian arid zone. It is completely depi...
Pasimachus Flat Ground Beetle
Pasimachus depressus
A large, broad, flattened shiny black beetle with massive mandibles and distinctive blue-margined elytra. It is one of t...
Peruvian Antlion
Ameromyia lineata
A neotropical antlion found in dry inter-Andean valleys and coastal deserts. Adapted to extremely arid conditions....
Pinacate Beetle
Eleodes armata
A shiny black desert beetle with spine-like projections on its legs. It performs a distinctive headstand when threatened...
Pitted Darkling Beetle
Adesmia cancellata
A large darkling beetle with deeply pitted elytra found in North African deserts. It is primarily nocturnal, sheltering ...
Progressive Bee Fly
Exoprosopa fasciata
A large bee fly with boldly banded wings in dark brown and clear patterns. It is a fast and agile flyer, frequently hove...
Queen Butterfly
Danaus gilippus
A close relative of the Monarch butterfly with similar orange coloring but darker. Found across the Americas. Like the M...
Question Mark Cockroach
Therea olegrandjeani
A close relative of the domino cockroach with white markings that form a question-mark-like pattern on its black body. I...
Rainbow Grasshopper
Dactylotum variegatum
A small short-winged grasshopper brightly patterned in red, orange, blue, and black. Despite its vivid warning colors, i...
Red Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex barbatus
A large red ant that builds conspicuous mound nests cleared of vegetation in arid terrain. Workers collect seeds and sto...
Red Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla magnifica
A large, brilliantly red-haired velvet ant found in the arid regions of the American Southwest. Females are wingless and...
Red-winged Spider Wasp
Tachypompilus ferrugineus
A large rusty-red spider wasp that hunts wolf spiders and other large ground spiders. It drags paralyzed prey across the...
Rough Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex rugosus
A dark-colored harvester ant with a rough, sculptured body found in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts. Colonies maintai...
Saharan Antlion
Neuroleon nemausiensis
A slender antlion found across the Mediterranean and North Africa. Adults fly at dusk and are attracted to lights in ari...
Saharan Carpenter Ant
Camponotus aegyptiacus
A large black carpenter ant found in desert habitats from Egypt to Arabia. It nests in soil rather than wood due to the ...
Saharan Harvester Termite
Anacanthotermes ochraceus
A desert-adapted harvester termite found across the Saharan and Arabian desert margins. Workers forage at the surface fo...
Saharan Sand Grasshopper
Sphingonotus octofasciatus
A pale sandy grasshopper well adapted to life on Saharan sand dunes. It has elongated hind legs for powerful jumps acros...
Saharan Silver Ant
Cataglyphis bombycina
The fastest ant in the world, sprinting across Saharan sand at midday when predators shelter from the heat. Its body is ...
Saharan Silver Ant Beetle
Anthia sexmaculata
A large predatory ground beetle with bold white spots on black elytra. It hunts other insects across hot desert surfaces...
Sand Cockroach
Arenivaga investigata
A desert cockroach that extracts water vapor from moist sand through special mouthparts....
Sand Dune Scarab
Pseudocotalpa andrewsi
A metallic golden-green scarab beetle found only on desert sand dunes. Adults emerge briefly after rains to feed and mat...
Sand Treader Camel Cricket
Macrobaenetes valgum
A pale, wingless cricket adapted to life on desert sand dunes in the American Southwest. It has broadened feet for walki...
Sand Treader Cricket
Ammobaenetes phrixocnemoides
A pale, wingless cricket highly adapted to life on desert sand dunes. Its oversized hind legs have paddle-like spines fo...
Sandstone Squeaker Cicada
Pauropsalta annulata
A small Australian cicada that produces a high-pitched squeaking call. It is commonly found on sandstone rock faces and ...
Scarites Ground Beetle
Scarites subterraneus
A large, jet-black burrowing ground beetle found across eastern North America. Its powerful mandibles and flattened body...
Scarlet Percher
Diplacodes haematodes
A brilliant scarlet-red dragonfly found across northern and inland Australia. Males are among the most vividly colored d...
Sidewalk Darkling Beetle
Eleodes hispilabris
A common flightless darkling beetle seen walking desert trails at dusk. Its smooth black exoskeleton helps minimize wate...
Sinai Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila rotundipennis
A pale yellow desert mantis from the Sinai Peninsula with rounded wing remnants. It is one of the better-studied Eremiap...
Small Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila typhon
A tiny, wingless mantis found in the Sahara Desert that runs across open sand to catch prey. Its pale body color matches...
Somali Conehead Mantis
Empusa somalica
A rare conehead mantis found in the Horn of Africa's arid scrublands. Its sandy coloration provides perfect camouflage i...
Sonoran Honeypot Ant
Myrmecocystus navajo
A honeypot ant species native to the high deserts of the Colorado Plateau. Repletes store amber-colored honeydew in thei...
Sonoran Silk Moth
Sphingicampa hubbardi
A small saturniid moth with warm pinkish-tan wings and minimal patterning. It is adapted to the harsh desert environment...
South African Graphipterus
Graphipterus serrator
A flattened, distinctively patterned ground beetle with white and black markings on its broad, flat elytra. It hides und...
South American Locust
Schistocerca cancellata
A major swarming locust of South America closely related to the desert locust. It periodically forms devastating swarms ...
Southeastern Blueberry Bee
Habropoda laboriosa
A fuzzy native bee that is the most efficient pollinator of blueberry flowers in North America. It uses buzz pollination...
Southern Mole Cricket
Neoscapteriscus borellii
A South American mole cricket that has become an invasive turf pest in the southern United States and Australia. It tunn...
Southern Snout Butterfly
Libytheana carinenta
A medium-sized butterfly with an extremely elongated snout formed by its labial palps, giving it a unique beak-like prof...
Spine-legged Robber Fly
Diogmites angustipennis
A slender amber-colored robber fly with conspicuously spined legs. It hunts from the ground in open sandy or rocky areas...
Splendid Earth-boring Beetle
Bolbocerosoma farctum
A stout rotund beetle with a polished amber-brown body. It digs deep burrows in sandy soil and is attracted to lights at...
Steel-blue Cricket Hunter
Chlorion aerarium
A large metallic blue wasp that hunts field crickets and mole crickets. It drags paralyzed prey into burrows to provisio...
Superb Green Cicada
Neotibicen superbus
A large and strikingly green cicada of the American Southwest with a powerful buzzing song. It is one of the most robust...
Sweat Bee of the Desert
Lasioglossum titusi
A small metallic green bee found in arid regions of western North America. It nests communally in sandy desert soil....
Teddy Bear Bee
Amegilla bombiformis
A plump, densely furred native Australian bee that closely resembles a bumblebee. Despite its cuddly appearance, it is a...
Texas Leafcutter Ant
Atta texana
The northernmost leafcutter ant species, found in the southern United States. Nests can extend 6 meters deep and cover l...
Thistle Mantis
Blepharopsis mendica
A graceful desert mantis with feathered antennae and a crown-like crest on its head. It has a slender build adapted to l...
Thistledown Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla gloriosa
A strikingly beautiful velvet ant covered in long white hair that resembles a piece of thistledown blowing across desert...
Tormus Bee
Perdita minima
The smallest known bee in the world at under 2 mm in length. It is a solitary ground-nesting species found in the southw...
Triatoma rubida
Triatoma rubida
A reddish-brown kissing bug found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It frequently enters homes and its bite ...
Tube-building Desert Termite
Gnathamitermes perplexus
A desert termite found in the southwestern United States that builds distinctive mud tubes and soil sheeting over grass ...
Tunisian Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila berndstiewi
A recently described desert mantis from southern Tunisia. It has an extremely flattened body that helps it hide under st...
Two-clawed Mole Cricket
Neoscapteriscus didactylus
A large South American mole cricket recognized by its two-clawed digging foreleg. It is both a turf pest and a predator ...
Unequal Cellophane Bee
Colletes inaequalis
An early spring bee that forms large nesting aggregations in sandy soil. It lines its cells with a waterproof secretion ...
Vagrant Emperor
Anax ephippiger
A nomadic dragonfly that wanders vast distances across Africa, Europe, and Asia. It has a sandy-brown body with a distin...
Valley Jerusalem Cricket
Stenopelmatus pictus
A boldly banded Jerusalem cricket found in the arid valleys of California. Its large jaws can deliver a painful but harm...
Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis
Not actually an ant but a wasp. Females are wingless and covered in dense, colorful hair. Known as "cow killers" for the...
Vivid Dancer
Argia vivida
A brightly colored dancer damselfly of western North America with intense blue-violet markings. It thrives along desert ...
Wandering Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila cerisyi
A tiny, wingless praying mantis that runs across desert sand like a spider. Its flattened, sand-colored body provides ex...
Wartclub Lacewing
Ithone fulva
A rare moth-like lacewing from southeastern Australia. Adults are short-lived and larvae burrow underground to feed on p...
West African Fungus-Growing Termite
Macrotermes subhyalinus
A widespread African termite that builds large above-ground mounds and farms Termitomyces fungi. They are an important f...
Western Cicada Killer
Sphecius grandis
A massive solitary wasp of the American West that hunts cicadas to provision its underground burrows. It is slightly lar...
Western Firefly
Microphotus angustus
A rare western North American firefly with larviform females that glow. Males are winged but produce no light....
Wheat Stem Sawfly
Cephus cinctus
A major pest of wheat and barley on the northern Great Plains of North America. Larvae bore inside stems, weakening them...
White-Lined Darkling Beetle
Eleodes longicollis
A smooth, elongated darkling beetle with a distinctively long pronotum. It is common in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deser...
White-Lined Sphinx Moth
Hyles lineata
A common sphinx moth with bold white stripes on its forewings and a pink-banded hindwing. It hovers at flowers like a hu...
White-Lined Sphinx Moth Hornworm
Cibolacris parviceps
A tiny, short-faced grasshopper adapted to the harshest parts of the Chihuahuan Desert. Its compact body reduces the sur...
Witchetty Grub
Endoxyla leucomochla
The larva of a cossid moth and the most important insect food of Australian Aboriginal desert peoples. Rich in protein a...
Wohlfahrt's Wound Fly
Wohlfahrtia magnifica
A large, gray flesh fly with dark spots on the abdomen that is an obligate parasite of warm-blooded animals in the Old W...
Wooly Darkling Beetle
Eleodes osculans
A stout black beetle common in southwestern US deserts. It raises its abdomen in a defensive headstand posture when dist...
Yemeni Desert Mantis
Eremiaphila zetterstedti
A small, agile desert mantis found in the Arabian Peninsula. It is adapted to extremely arid habitats with minimal veget...
Yucca Plant Bug
Halticotoma valida
A dark metallic blue plant bug that feeds on yucca plants in the arid Southwest. Heavy infestations can cause yellowing ...
Zayante Band-winged Grasshopper
Trimerotropis infantilis
A small grasshopper found only in sand parkland habitats in Santa Cruz County, California. It is superbly camouflaged ag...