Desert Insects

Covering nearly one fifth of the Earth’s surface where rainfall is uncommon, deserts are home to many kinds of insects. The extreme heat and dryness are no match for the insects living in desert biomes. Because of these factors, desert insects have waxy coatings on their bodies to prevent water loss, burrow underground to escape the scorching heat, and are most active at night. These insects help pollinate desert plants, serve as a food source for other desert animals, and play a role in the decomposition of carcasses.

Pinacate Beetle (Eleodes)

Small, shiny, jet-black beetles that use a foul-smelling odor to scare off any predators, the pinacate beetles, more commonly known as stinkbugs or clown beetles, are found in various landscapes including deserts. These beetles are notably famous for doing a headstand and spraying a foul smell that can reach up to 20 inches away. Though the spray isn’t harmful to humans, it can still be a nuisance as it can be hard to wash off. Pinacate beetles are not picky eaters, they can eat dead plants in the wild but are known to eat apples, lettuce, and dog food when kept in captivity, earning them the “recyclers in the wild.”

Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus)

You may not know it, but you have seen viceroy butterflies in your own garden. A large butterfly with brownish-orange upper sides with blue-black or dark brown margins and veins, Limenitis archippus is a brush-footed butterfly species found in moist open or shrubby areas such as lakes, swamp edges, willow thickets, valley bottoms, wet meadows, and agricultural and rural areas. There are approximately three thousand species worldwide, in which hundreds of species that live in or migrate through North America. It consumes carrion, manure, catkins and leaves, and sunflower nectar, using two out of its four legs for tasting.

Aphid (Aphidoidea)

Aphids, known as “plant lice,” are small insects found typically in the Southwest. Soft and pear-shaped, the typical aphid has a distinctive pair of cornicles, or “honey tubes,” protruding from the rear of its abdomen. They are known to be plant lice as they feed on plants, inserting their proboscis through the skin and sucking the fluid. They have many species that range from different sizes and colors. Aphids serve as a feast for ladybird beetles, parasitic wasps, and aphid lions. They also serve as a milk cow for ants, who follow them and milk them regularly.

Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis)

Tarantula hawk wasps are renowned for being the most painful of any insect found in North America. Researchers believe that because of their large nests, they evolved stings that are unusually severe. The metallic blue-black tarantula hawk has mahogany, orangish, or blue-black wings. The most prevalent species are Pepsis formosa and Pepsis thisbe, and they are found in the southwestern desert regions. Roadrunners are among the few animals that consume tarantula hawks. A spider serves as the host for the larvae of the genus of spider mites known as Tarantula Hawk Wasps, which are most active in the summer.

Sun Spiders (Solpugids)

The camel spider, also known as the solpugid or wind scorpion, is an intriguing and mysterious desert creature. They have the ability to bite and can run up to 10 miles per hour. Although their bites can cause pain, they are not poisonous to people. Their jaws, known as “chelicerae”, can occupy almost one-third of a species’ body length. Solpugids, which are covered in fine hairs and sensory organs, are extremely adapted to their arid environments. The malleoli and tapping motions of the pedipalps allow them to detect subterranean prey at a shallow depth. The species is found in southern Canada, half of North America, and the southwest United States.