Sonoran Desert Arthropods

Dragonflies & Damselflies

Odonata

Four, similar membraneous wings, with often rapid and precise flight. Adults and immatures are entirely predaceous. Immature stages live in water but adults can wander far from water in search of prey. More info

Butterflies

Lepidoptera

Day flying insects with four, broad, often colorful wings. Immature form are caterpillars feeding on plant leaves. More info

Moths

Lepidoptera

Often nocturnal but not always. Four broad wings with drab or else colorful scales. More info

Beetles

Coleoptera

One pair of hardened wing covers protecting a second pair of membraneous flight wings. Mouthparts designed for chewing. Immature stage a grub. More info

True Bugs

Hemiptera

Insects with two pairs of wings and mouthparts designed for piercing-sucking. First pair of wings may be part leathery. Many forms are wingless. More info

Preying Mantis

Mantidae

First pair of wings are leather, second membraneous. First pair of legs strongly raptoral and sharp clawed. Predaceous on mostly soft-bodied insects. More info

Green Lacewing

Neuroptera

Delicate, intricately veined wings, often emerald green. Mostly nocturnal at lights or alighted on vegetation. Larvae eat aphids, etc. More info

Lacewing Larva

Neuroptera

Small torpedo-shaped, somewhat compressed insect without wings. Eat aphids, etc. and on rare occasion will bite into flesh in search of moisture. More info

Stonefly

Plecoptera

Aquatic insect of cool, clean, streams. Elongate abdomen with two long, hair-like tail append-ages. Adults emerge early spring. More info

Flies

Diptera

One pair of membraneous wings. Mouthparts designed for lapping or piercing. Immature stage is a maggot. Includes gnats and mosquitoes. More info

Grasshoppers and Crickets

Orthoptera

Saltorial insects with two pairs of wings, the first, top pair often leathery and protective. Chewing mouthparts. Immatures lack wings but resemble adults. More info

Bees and Wasps

Hymenoptera

Two pairs of membraneous wings - second pair normally smaller than first. Buzzing, high-frequency wing beats. Stinger often present. Mouth parts chewing-lapping. More info

Ants

Hymenoptera

Workers without wings and normally residing in large colonies. Reproductives (queens, males) with two membraneous wings. Stingers sometimes present. More info

Creosote Bush Walkingstick

Diapheromera covilleae

Wingless insect with six legs. Body and appendages are all long and twig-like to hide completely. More info

Desert Subterranean Termite

Heterotermes aureus

Mud-like carton tunnels extend from soil up into wooded structures. White abdomen with darker brown at mandibles in head. More info

Encrusting Termites

Gnathamitermes perplexus

Rarely seen directly above ground. Twigs and grasses near soil are encrusted with mud-like carton. More info

Firebrat

Thermobia domestica

Common household insect in the Sonoran Desert. Three long hair-like appendages at tail and two long antennae. No wings. More info

Spiders

Arachnida

Eight segmented legs and a body with two segments - head and thorax fused. May inhabit an intricate web or hunt freely. Without antennae. More info

Scorpions

Arachnida

Eight legs with a prominet pair of pedipalps at anterior formed to pincers. Tail or telson normally with sting at posterior. More info

Desert Millipede

Orthoporus ornatus

Two pairs of legs per each of many body segments. Habitat mostly subterranean and above ground only at night after rain. More info

Greenhouse Millipede

Oxidus gracilis

Again, two pairs of legs per segment. Common millipede in moist gardens of Sonoran Desert. Mostly hidden beneath vegetation or debris or soil. More info

Desert Centipede

Scolopendra polymorpha

Many segments and legs, but with only one pair per segment. Nocturnal. By day remains hidden beneath rocks or soil. More info

Woodlouse

Porcellio sp.

Terrestrial crustacean found mostly in watered gardens and compost. 7 pairs legs. Flattened profile. More info