Field Guide

Land Invertebrates

Showing 1 - 10 of 35 results
image of a Leafhopper on leaf
Leafhoppers
More than 3,000 species in North America north of Mexico
The leafhoppers are a large and diverse family of sap-sucking, hopping insects. You can distinguish them from similar groups of hoppers by the hind legs, which have at least one row of small spines on the hind tibiae (“shins”).
image of Bee Fly on leaf
Bee Flies
About 800 species in North America
Resembling bees, or sometimes big, fuzzy mosquitoes, bee flies are a family of true flies and are not bees at all. Lacking the ability to sting, their bee mimicry helps them avoid many would-be predators.
Robber fly, genus Efferia, male, perched on a white-painted post
Robber Flies
More than 1,000 species in North America
Robber flies are aerial predators of a variety of insects. They often perch in conspicuous locations and make short flights chasing prey.
image of a Carolina Grasshopper
Short-Horned Grasshoppers
About 620 species in North America
The short-horned grasshopper family includes many familiar jumpers. They are named for their antennae, which are relatively short compared to those in the "long-horned" or katydid group.
Photo of a male Banded Pennant dragonfly
Dragonflies
Species in the suborder Anisoptera
Like damselflies, dragonflies have long bodies, two pairs of long, membranous, finely veined wings, and predaceous aquatic larvae. Dragonflies typically hold their wings stretched outward, horizontally.
Narceus Millipede crawling across gravel
Millipedes
More than 900 species in North America north of Mexico
Millipedes, which have two pairs of legs per body segment, are harmless detritus-eaters, move slowly, and curl up defensively when harassed.
Photo of a northern walkingstick on autumn dogwood leaves
Walkingsticks (Stick Insects)
Diapheromera femorata, Megaphasma denticrus, and others
Walkingsticks are long, slender insects that are perfectly camouflaged to look like brown or green twigs. Most species are tropical, but some types are found in Missouri.
Photo of a land snail crawling on a rock.
Land Snails and Slugs
Approx. 150 species of land snails and slugs in Missouri
Most people know land snails and slugs when they see these interesting animals. Missouri has about 150 species in 25 families.
Chinese mantis
Chinese Mantis
Tenodera sinensis (formerly T. aridifolia)
The Chinese mantis is a large, green and tan ambush predator. This nonnative insect is often called a “praying mantis” because the front legs resemble hands folded in prayer.
Large crane fly perched on a white-painted surface, side view
Large Crane Flies
More than 500 species in North America north of Mexico
Many people are frightened of crane flies, which resemble huge mosquitoes. But crane flies don’t bite or suck blood. In fact, as adults, most of them don’t have mouths at all!
See Also
Photo of a Yellow-Collared Scape Moth
Yellow-Collared Scape Moth
Cisseps fulvicollis
The yellow-collared scape moth is more often “orange-collared.” And whether you think it looks more like a firefly or a wasp, it’s still a moth!
image of Plume Moth on blade of grass
Plume Moths
Nearly 150 species in North America north of Mexico
Slim, delicate plume moths are instantly recognizable by their T-shaped silhouette, long legs, and muted shades of tan and brown. It can be hard to separate the various species.
Photo of an Isabella Tiger Moth
Isabella Tiger Moth (Woolly Bear; Woolly Worm)
Pyrrharctia isabella
Not many people know the adult Isabella tiger moth when they see one, but we’re all acquainted with its caterpillar, the woolly worm, or woolly bear.

About Land Invertebrates in Missouri

Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including earthworms, slugs, snails, and arthropods. Arthropods—invertebrates with “jointed legs” — are a group of invertebrates that includes crayfish, shrimp, millipedes, centipedes, mites, spiders, and insects. There may be as many as 10 million species of insects alive on earth today, and they probably constitute more than 90 percent all animal species.