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| Arthropod Conifer Checklist |
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ARTHROPODS
- DIPTERA (Flies)
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One pair of wings
Hind wings reduced to tiny knobs (halteres)
- EPHEMEROPTERA (Mayflies)
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Very soft body
Tip of abdomen with 2-3 thread-like tails (caudal filiments)
Usually with two pairs of wings (sometimes one pair)
When there are two pairs of wings, hind wings are much smaller than front wings
- LEPIDOPTERA (Moths / Butterflies)
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Two pairs of wings covered with powdery scales
Mouthparts usually a coiled tube (proboscis) for sucking
- TRICHOPTERA (Caddisflies)
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Two pairs of wings covered with hair
Wings held roof-like at rest
- HOMOPTERA (Hoppers and Aphids)
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Sucking mouthparts in the form of a rigid beak
Antennae often short and bristley
Two pairs of wings (sometimes without wings)
When wings are present, they are held roof-like at rest
Body sometimes with hard projections that make it look like a thorn
Forms without wings (aphids) have very soft bodies with two short projections (cornicles) at the tip of the abdomen
- NEUROPTERA (Lacewings)
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Two pairs of wings with many cross veins, sometimes bright green
Wings held roof-like at rest
- PSOCOPTERA (Bark lice)
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Tiny insects with very soft, pale colored bodies
Relatively long antennae
Chewing mouthparts
Two pairs of wings or without wings
When wings are present, they are held roof-like at rest
- ODONATA (Dragonflies & Damselflies)
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Antennae always short and bristley
Abdomen always long
Two pairs of wings
Front and hind wings similar in texture, size and shape
- ISOPTERA (Termites)
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Usually found in colonies with many individuals, some of which may have very large mandibles (soldier caste)
Very soft, pale colored bodies
Two pairs of wings or without wings
When wings are present, front and hind wings are similar in size and shape, and held flat over abdomen when at rest
- MECOPTERA (Scorpionflies)
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Head elongated into a "beak"
Males with the last abdominal segment enlarged and held over the body like a scorpion's stinger
Two pairs of wings (occasionally tiny or missing wings)
Front and hind wings similar in texture, size and shape
- HYMENOPTERA (Bees, Wasps, Ants)
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Body often with a narrow "waist"
Two pairs of wings (bees and wasps), sometimes without wings (ants and wingless wasps)
When wings are present, hind wings are smaller than front wings
Antennae of the wingless forms usually have a bend in the middle
- PLECOPTERA (Stoneflies)
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Body very soft, with two projections (cerci) at the end of the abdomen
Two pairs of wings, hind wings wider than front wings
At rest, the hind wings are folded underneath the front wings, and held flat over the abdomen
- HETEROPTERA (Bugs)
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Front wings with clear tips (hemelytra), overlapping at rest, revealing a triangular panel on the back (scutellum)
Front wings a rigid or leathery covering for clear hind wings
Sucking mouthparts in the form of a rigid beak
- COLEOPTERA (Beetles)
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Rigid front wings (elytra) meet in a straight line down the middle of the back
Front wings (sometimes tiny) a rigid or leathery covering for clear hind wings
Chewing mouthparts
- BLATTARIA (Cockroaches)
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Front wings a rigid or leathery covering for clear hind wings
Head hidden from above by a hood-like structure (pronutum)
Chewing mouthparts
Fast runners
- MANTODEA (Mantids)
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Strong front legs with prominent spines for grasping prey, hind legs long and slender
Front wings a rigid or leathery covering for clear hind wings
Chewing mouthparts
- ORTHOPTERA (Grasshoppers & Crickets)
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The femora of the hind legs are enlarged for jumping
Front wings a rigid or leathery covering for clear hind wings
Chewing mouthparts
- PHASMIDA (Walking sticks)
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Slow-moving, resembles a twig
Long, thin body with tiny or missing wings
- COLLEMBOLA (Springtails)
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Very soft body, often < 2mm
Usually with a spring-like structure (furcula) on the underside of the abdomen used for jumping
Without wings
Mouthparts hidden within head
- THYSANOPTERA (Thrips)
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Tiny insects with very soft, slender bodies
Fairly >short antennae
Sometimes without wings, but adults may actually have barely visible wings with fringes of hair
Sucking mouthparts
- SIPHONAPTERA (Fleas)
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Tiny jumping parasites almost always found on mammals or birds, where they suck blood
Body has flattened sides
Without wings
- DERMAPTERA (Earwigs)
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Prominent "pincers" (cerci) at the tip of the abdomen
Tiny or missing wings
- OPILIONES (Daddy-Longlegs)
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Four pairs of long, slender legs (the second pair is the longest)
Body in one piece
Abdomen with distinct segments
- SCORPIONES (Scorpions)
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Conspicuous "pincers" (pedipalps) ahead of shorter legs
Abdomen with distinct segments, abdomen ends in a stinger
Fairly large body
Four pairs of legs
- PSEUDOSCORPIONES (Pseudoscorpions)
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Conspicuous "pincers" (pedipalps) ahead of shorter legs
Abdomen with distinct segments, the abdomen does not end in a stinger
Small body usually < 3mm
Four pairs of legs
- ARANAE (Spiders)
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Body clearly divided into two main parts (cephalothorax and abdomen)
Abdomen without segments
Four pairs of legs
- ACARI (Mites & Ticks)
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Body usually tiny, oval-shaped (not divided into two main parts)
Abdomen without segments
Four pairs of legs (immatures with three pairs of legs)
- ISOPODA (Pillbugs, sowbugs)
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Body composed of hard, flattened plates
Seven pairs of tiny legs, barely visible from above
Some roll up into balls
- SYMPHYLA
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Slender and whitish body, often about 1 mm long
10 - 12 pairs of short legs
- CHILOPODA (Centipedes)
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Flattened body
More than 15 pairs of legs, visible from above
One pair of legs attached to each body segment
- DIPLOPODA (Millipedes)
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Usually tube-like body (sometimes flattened)
More than 30 pairs of legs
Two pairs of legs attached to each body segment
CONIFERS
- TAXUS (Yew)
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Dark green needles
Each fleshy, bright red fruit partially covers a black seed
- TORREYA
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Single needles
Fleshy, oval green-purple fruits with a diameter of approximately 25 mm
- JUNIPERUS (Juniper)
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Trees with needles and/or overlapping scales that are often bluish or light green
Berry-like blue-black fruits with a diameter of approximately 10 mm
- PINUS (Pine)
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Needles are tucked into papery sheaths
Needles are attached to the twigs in clusters of 2 - 5 (needles rarely single)
Woody cones
- LARIX (Larch)
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Soft, bright green needles are attached to the twigs in clusters of 12 - 50
Deciduous trees (needles turn golden before dropping)
Woody cones
- PSEUDOTSUGA (Douglas fir)
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Single needles, soft and sharply pointed
Cones have long, pointy bracts extending beyond scales
Woody cones hang down from the lower side or end of the twig
- TAXODIUM (Baldcypress)
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Trees often found in swamps, with root "knees"
Deciduous trees with scaly, shredding bark
Single needles
Woody cones attached along the length of the twig
- SEQUOIA (Coastal redwood)
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Some of the tallest trees in the world, found in California and Oregon
Single needles attached directly to stems without woody projections
Woody cones hang at the ends of twigs
- TSUGA (Hemlock)
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Flexible branches and treetops droop
The flat, blunt needles are attached to twigs by little woody projections
Twigs often have needles of different lengths
Woody cones hang at the ends of twigs
- PICEA (Spruce)
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Single needles attached to twigs by little woody projections
The stiff needles are angled in cross sections
Woody cones hang at the ends of twigs
- SEQUIOADENDRON (Giant Sequoia)
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Massive trees found in California
Overlapping leaf scales with alternate arrangement
Woody cones 40 mm - 80 mm long, with numerous, spirally-arranged scales
- CHAMAECYPARIS (False Cypress)
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Tiny overlapping leaf scales with opposite or whorled arrangement
Twigs usually form flattened "sprays"
Globe-like cones,13 mm in diameter
Cones with only a few opposite scales and 2 - 5 seeds per cone scale
- CUPRESSUS (Cypress)
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Tiny overlapping leaf scales with opposite or whorled arrangement, scale edges minutely toothed
Twigs do not form flattened "sprays"
Globe-like cones> 13 mm-40 mm in diameter
Cones with only a few opposite scales and >5 seeds per cone scale
- CALOCEDRUS (Incense cedars)
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Tiny overlapping leaf scales mostly long, narrow
and pointed,
in whorls of 4
Urn-shaped cones with a few rigid, opposite scales are <40 mm long
- THUJA (Arborvitae)
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Tiny overlapping leaf scales mostly short and broad with blunt tips, with opposite arrangement
Oval cones with a few flexible, opposite scales are < 40 mm long
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