Collecting Taxonomy...
💡 Tip: Contribute to species pages to earn XP!
The Living Encyclopedia
Explore our comprehensive database of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Discover detailed care guides, morph varieties, and community setups.
S
invertebrate
Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Purple sea urchin can refer to one of several species of sea urchin:Arbacia punctulata, a species of sea urchin from the family Arbaciidae commonly known as the Atlantic purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a species of sea urchin in the family Parechinidae commonly known as the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a species of sea urchin in the family Strongylocentrotidae commonly known as the purple sea urchin
View Profile →
S
invertebrate
Sea Cucumber
Holothuria scabra
Sandfish may refer to:
View Profile →
invertebrate
Earthworm
Lumbricus terrestris
Lumbricus terrestris is a large, reddish worm species thought to be native to Western Europe, now widely distributed around the world. In some areas where it is an introduced species, some people consider it to be a significant pest for out-competing native worms.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Leech
Hirudo medicinalis
Hirudo medicinalis, or the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as medicinal leeches.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch is a milkweed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It is among the most familiar of North American butterflies and an iconic pollinator, although it is not an especially effective pollinator of milkweeds. Its wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3.5–4.0 in). A Müllerian mimic, the viceroy butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and has an extra black stripe across each hindwing.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Moth
Actias luna
The luna moth, also called the American moon moth, is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly named the giant silk moths.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Bee
Apis mellifera
The western honey bee or European honey bee is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name Apis is Latin for 'bee', and mellifera is the Latin for 'honey-bearing' or 'honey-carrying', referring to the species' production of honey.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Wasp
Vespula vulgaris
Vespula vulgaris, known as the common wasp, is a species found in regions that include the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, India, China, New Zealand and Australia. It is sometimes known in English as the European wasp, but the same name is used for the species Vespula germanica or German wasp. In 2010, the ostensible Vespula vulgaris wasps in North America were found to be a different species, Vespula alascensis.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Ant
Lasius niger
The black garden ant, also known as the common black ant, is a formicine ant, the type species of the genus Lasius, which is found across Europe and in some parts of North America, South America, Asia and Australasia. The European species was split into two species; L. niger, which are found in open areas; and L. platythorax, which is found in forest habitats. It is monogynous, meaning colonies contain a single queen.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Beetle
Coccinella septempunctata
Coccinella septempunctata, common name seven-spot ladybird, often abbreviated C-7, is a carnivorous beetle native to Europe, most of Asia, and North Africa. It inhabits many regions with a temperate climate. The beetle has been introduced to several other areas, including North America as a biological pest control agent to combat aphid infestations. The seven-spot ladybird is one of roughly 5,000 species of ladybird worldwide. Bauer states that C. septempunctata's ability to adapt to many different habitats makes it "one of the most successful aphidophagous insects".
View Profile →
invertebrate
Ladybug
Harmonia axyridis
Harmonia axyridis is a lady beetle or ladybird species that is most commonly known as the harlequin, Asian, or multicoloured Asian lady beetle. This is one of the most variable lady beetle species in the world, with an exceptionally wide range of colour forms. It is native to eastern Asia, and has been artificially introduced to North America and Europe to control aphids and scale insects. It is now common, well known, and spreading in those regions, and has also established in Africa and widely across South America. This species is conspicuous in North America, where it may locally be known as the Halloween beetle, as it often invades homes during October to overwinter. Other names include multivariate, southern, Japanese, and pumpkin ladybird.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Dragonfly
Anax junius
The green darner or common green darner, after its resemblance to a darning needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico. It also occurs in the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Asia from Japan to mainland China. It is the official insect for the state of Washington in the United States.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Damselfly
Ischnura elegans
The blue-tailed damselfly or common bluetail is a damselfly, belonging to the family Coenagrionidae.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Grasshopper
Schistocerca gregaria
The desert locust is a species of locust in the grasshopper family, Acrididae. A periodically swarming, short-horned bird grasshopper, it is found primarily in the deserts and dry areas of northern and eastern Africa, Arabia, and southwest Asia. During population surge years, its range may extend north into parts of Southern Europe, Eastern Africa, and Northern India. The desert locust shows periodic changes in its body form and can change in response to environmental conditions over several generations. It begins life as a solitary, shorter-winged, highly fecund, non-migratory form, to a gregarious, long-winged, and migratory phase in which it may travel long distances into new areas. Due to this traveling, it may join groups, thus, forming locust plagues. This involves invading new areas where it may consume all vegetation including valuable crops. Although at other times, it may live unnoticed in small numbers in various areas.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Cricket
Acheta domesticus
Acheta domesticus, commonly called the house cricket, is a species of cricket most likely native to Southwestern Asia, but between 1950 and 2000 it became the standard feeder insect for the pet and research industries and spread worldwide. They can be kept as pets themselves, as this has been the case in China and Japan.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Mantis
Mantis religiosa
The European mantis is a large hemimetabolic insect in the Mantidae family, which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs that can be observed the mantis is in repose, resembling a praying position. Both males and females have elongated bodies with two pairs of wings. The most striking features that the species have are a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes and their first pair of legs, which is highly modified for the efficient capture and restraint of fast-moving or flying prey.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Stick Insect
Carausius morosus
Carausius morosus is a species of Phasmatodea (phasmid) often kept as pets. Culture stocks originate from a collection from Tamil Nadu, India. Like the majority of the Phasmatodea, C. morosus are nocturnal. Culture stocks are parthenogenetic females that can reproduce without mating. There are no reports of males, although in captivity, gynandromorphs are sometimes reared.
View Profile →
invertebrate
Cockroach
Periplaneta americana
The American cockroach is the largest species of cockroach routinely found in homes, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic, nor a Hemipteran. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary. It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug.
View Profile →
M
invertebrate
Millipede
Narceus americanus
Millipede (Narceus americanus)
View Profile →
invertebrate
Centipede
Scolopendra gigantea
Scolopendra gigantea, also known as the Peruvian giant yellow-leg centipede or Amazonian giant centipede, is a centipede in the genus Scolopendra. It is the largest centipede species in the world, with a length exceeding 30 centimetres (12 in). Specimens may have 21 or 23 segments. It is found in various places throughout South America and the extreme south Caribbean, where it preys on a wide variety of animals, including other sizable arthropods, amphibians, mammals and reptiles.
View Profile →