What I've seen & identified (I think!) on our 10 acres in the Endless Mountains

Important note: these IDs are made with naked eye observation & layperson's field guides. From arthropods down, genus and especially species are very likely inaccurate. See ladybugs for an example!

Mammals--Birds--Reptiles--Amphibians--Insects--Other invertebrates
KINGDOM ANIMALIA

 (Eumetazoa/Bilateria)(Deuterostomia)
NOTE: Classification levels in normal type & parentheses I don't know much about but pulled from the Animal Diversity Web (really cool, check it out! Especially with HotSauce!). I don't want to overload the page with headings but already stuck them in & don't want to chuck them, hence the compromise.
 

Phylum Chordata (chordates)

(Somitoforma/Craniata/Vertebrata/Gnathostomata/Teleostomi/Osteichthyes/ Sarcopterygii/Choanata/Tetrapoda) (Amniota)

Class Mammalia (mammals)

Order Marsupialia (marsupials)
Suborder Polyprotodontia

Didelphidae (American opossums)
  • Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana

    • Order Chiroptera (bats)
    Suborder Microchiroptera (insectivorous bats)

    Vespertilionidae (evening bats)
  • Little brown bat Myotis lucifugus

    • Order Primates
    Suborder Anthropoidea (monkeys, apes)

    Hominidae (humans)
  • Human Homo sapiens-sapiens

    • Order Lagomorpha (pikas, rabbits, hares)

    Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
  • Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

    • Order Rodentia (rodents)

    Suborder Hystricomorpha

    Erethizontidae (New World porcupines)
  • Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum

    • Suborder Sciuromorpha

    Sciuridae (squirrels)
  • Eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus
  • Groundhog Marmota monax
  • Gray squirrel Sciurus caroliensis
  • Red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

    • Suborder Myomorpha

    Muridae (rats and mice)
    Subfamily Cricetidae (New World rats and mice)
  • Deer mouse and/or white-footed mouse Peromyscus maniculatus or P. leucopus
  • Meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus

    • Order Carnivora
    Suborder Fissipeda

    Canidae (dogs, wolves)
  • Domestic dog Canis canis
  • Red fox Vulpes vulpes

    • Mustelidae (weasels, otters, badgers, skunks)

  • Least weasel Mustela nivalis
    • Felidae (cats)
  • Domestic cat Felix cattus

    • Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)

    Equidae (horses, asses, zebras)
  • Domestic horse Equus caballus

    • Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
    Suborder Ruminantia (ruminants)

    Cervidae (deer)
  • White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

    • Bovidae (cattle, sheep, goats, antelopes)

  • Domestic cow Bos taurus

    • Class Aves (birds)

    Order Ciconiiformes

    Ardeidae (herons, bitterns)
  • Great blue heron Ardea herodias

    • Order Anseriformes (waterfowl)

    Anatidae (swans, geese, ducks)
  • Canada goose Branta canadensis

    • Order Falconiformes

    Accipitridae (hawks, eagles)
  • Red-tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis

    • Cathartidae (American vultures

  • Turkey vulture Cathartes aurata

    • Falconidae (falcons)

  • American kestrel Falco sparverius
  • Merlin Falco columbarius

    • Order Galliformes

    Meleagrididae (turkeys)
  • Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo

    • Phasianidae (pheasants, quails, partridges)

  • Ring-necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus

    • Tetraonidae (grouse)

  • Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus

    • Order Charadriiformes

  • Charadriidae (plovers)
  • Killdeer Charadrius vociferus

    • Scolopacidae (sandpipers, phalaropes)

  • American woodcock Philohela minor

    • Order Columbiformes

    Columbidae (pigeons, doves)
  • Mourning dove Zenaida macroura
  • Rock dove Columba livia

    • Order Apodiformes

    Trochilidae (hummingbirds)
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris

    • Order Piciformes (woodpeckers)

    Picidae (woodpeckers)
  • Downy woodpecker Picoides pubescens
  • Red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
  • Common flicker Colaptes auratus

    • Order Passeriformes

    Bombycillidae (waxwings)
  • Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

    • Cardinalidae (cardinals, grosbeaks)

  • American goldfinch Carduelis tristis
  • Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

    • Corvidae (crows, jays)

  • American crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
  • Blue jay Cyanocitta cristata

    • Emberizidae

  • Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea

    • Fringillidae (finches, sparrows, buntings)

  • House finch Carpodacus mexicanus
  • Northern junco Junco hyemalis
  • Sparrows of some kind--can't identify yet!

    • Hirundinidae (swallows)

  • Barn swallow Hirundo rustica

    • Icteridae (blackbirds, orioles, etc.)

  • Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
  • Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater
  • Eastern meadowlark Sturnella magna
  • Red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

    • Mimidae (mockingbirds, thrashers)

  • Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum
  • Gray catbird Dumetella carolinensis

    • Paridae (titmice)

  • Black-capped chickadee Parus atricapillus

    • Parulidae (wood warblers)

  • Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas

    • Sittidae (nuthatches)

  • White-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis

    • Sturnidae (starlings)

  • Starling Sturnus vulgaris

    • Turdidae (thrushes)

  • American robin Turdus migratorius
  • Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis
  • Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina

    • Tyrannidae (flycatchers)

  • Eastern phoebe Sayornis phoebe
  • Eastern kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus

    • Class Sauria (reptiles)

    Order Squamata (snakes, lizards)

    King snakes
  • Red king snake Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum


    • Garter snakes

  • Garter snake Thamnophis ordinatus
  • Ribbon snake Thamnophis sauritus
  • A very common small brown snake--?

    • Order Testudines (turtles)

    Chelydridae (snapping turtles)
  • Snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina

    • Class Lissamphibia
    Subclass Batrachia

    Order Anura (frogs, toads)

    Ranidae
  • Leopard frog Rana pipiens
  • Spring peeper Pseudacris crucifer

    • Bufonidae

  • Fowler's toad Bufo woodhousei fowleri

    • Order Caudata

    Salmandridae
  • Red eft Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens

    • Plethodontidae

  • Allegheny dusky salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus
    • (Protostomia/Eucoelomates)

    Phylum Arthropoda
    Subphylum Uniramia

    Class Insecta (insects)

    Order Collembola (springtails)

    Poduridae (podurid springtails)
  • Snow flea Achorutes nivicola

    • Order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)

    Aeschinidae (darners)
  • Green darner (probably) Anax junius

    • Libelludidae (common skimmers)

  • White tail Plathemis lydia

    • Order Mantodea (mantids)

    Mantidae (mantids)
  • Praying mantis Mantis religiosa

    • Order Dermaptera (earwigs)

    Labiduridae (long-horned earwigs)
  • Ring-legged earwig Euborellia annulipes

    • Order Plecoptera (stoneflies)

    Perlodidae (green-winged stoneflies)
  • Some kind
    • Pteronarcidae (giant stoneflies)
  • Some kind

    • Order Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets)

    Acrididae (short-horned grasshoppers)
  • Pallid-winged grasshopper Trimerotropis pallidipennis
  • Alutacea bird grasshopper Schistocera alutacea
  • Red-legged locust Melanoplus femur-rubrum

    • Tettigoniidae (long-horned grasshoppers and katydids)

  • Gladiator katydid Orchelimum gladiator

    • Gryllidae (true crickets)

  • Field cricket Gryllus pennsylvanicus
  • Black-horned tree cricket Oecanthus nigricornis

    • Order Psocoptera (booklice and barklice)

  • Some kind of booklouse

    • Order Hemiptera (true bugs)

    Gerridae (water striders)
  • Common water strider Gerris remigis

    • Order Homoptera (cicadas, etc.)

    Cercopidae (spittlebugs)
  • Meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius

    • Cicadellidae (leafhoppers)

  • Scarlet-and-green leafhopper Graphocephala coccinea

    • Order Neuroptera (net-veined insects)

    Chrysopidae (green lacewings)
  • Green lacewing Chrysopha sp.

    • Order Coleoptera (beetles)

    "The Creator, if he exists, has a special preference for beetles." -- J.B.S. Haldane
    Carabidae (ground beetles)
  • Common black ground beetle Pterostichus sp.

    • Curculionidae (snout beetles)
    Subfamily Rhynchophorinae (billbugs and grain weevils)

  • a tiny purplish-black weevil, seen on daisies

    • Gyrinidae (whirligig beetles)

  • Small whirligig beetle Gyrinus sp.

    • Silphidae (carrion beetles)

  • American carrion beetle Silpha americana

    • Scarabaeidea (scarab beetles)

  • Brown fruit chafer Euphoria inda
  • Japanese beetle Popilla japonica
  • June beetle Phyllophaga sp.

    • Buprestidae (metallic wood-boring beetles)

  • Divergent metallic wood borer Dicerca divaricata

    • Elateridae (click beetles)

  • Some kind

    • Lampyridae (fireflies)

  • Pennsylvania firefly Photuris pennsylvanicus

    • Coccinellidae (ladybug beetles)

  • Multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis
  • A spotless ladybug of some kind--probably a multicolored Asian, which are very variable
  • A ladybug that as it turns out is very unlikely to be the Nine-spotted ladybug Coccinella novemnotata, now very rare or possibly extinct in the Northeast! Thanks to John Losey for the information--fascinating article can be found here Chances are it was a seven-spotted (non-native), C. septapunctata.

    • Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles)

  • Spotted cucumber beetle Diabrotica undecimpunctata
  • Three-lined potato beetle Lema trilineata also known as the "Old-fashioned Potato Bug!"

    • Cicindelidae (tiger beetles)

  • Six-spotted green tiger beetle Cicindela sexguttata

    • Order Siphonaptera (fleas)

    Pulicidae (common fleas)
  • Some kind

    • Order Diptera (flies)

    Tipulidae (crane flies)
  • Crane fly Tipula sp.

    • Culicidae (mosquitoes)

  • some kind

    • Simuliidae (black flies)

  • Black fly Simulium sp.

    • Muscidae (muscid flies)

  • Housefly Musca domestica

    • Syrphidae (hover flies)

  • Drone fly Eristalis tenax
  • A small syrphid with a brightly-colored red & yellow-banded abdomen

    • Calliphoridae (blow flies)

  • Blue bottle fly Calliphora vomitoria

    • Tabanidae (horse and deer flies)

  • American horse fly Tabanus americanus

    • Order Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

    Hesperiidae (skippers)
  • Least skipper Ancyloxypha numitor

    • Papilionidae (swallowtails etc.)

  • Black swallowtail Papilio polyxenes
  • Eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus

    • Pieridae (whites, sulphurs, orange tips)

  • Clouded sulphur Colias philodice

    • Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)

  • Baltimore Euphydryas phaeton
  • Great spangled fritillary Speyeria cybele
  • Milbert's tortoise shell Nymphalis milberti
  • Mourning cloak Nymphalis antiopa
  • Red-spotted purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax

    • Saturniidae (giant silkworm moths)

  • Cecropia moth Hyalophora cecropia
  • Luna moth Actias luna
  • Rosy maple moth Dryocampa rubincunda

    • Satyridae (satyrs, nymphs, artics)

  • Eyed brown Lethe eurydice

    • Danaidae (milkweed butterflies)

  • Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus

    • Pyraliadae (pyralid moths)

  • Meal moth Pyralis farinalis

    • Lasiocampidae (tent caterpillar moths)

  • American tent caterpillar Malacosoma americanum

    • Sphingidae (sphinx moths)

  • Great ash sphinx Sphinx chersis
  • Hummingbird moth Hemaris thysbe

    • Arctiidae (tiger moths)

  • Wooly bear caterpillar Isia isabella

    • Ctenuchidae (ctenuichid moths)

  • Virginia ctenuchid moth Ctenucha virginica

    • Lymantriidae (tussock moths, etc.)

  • Gypsy moth caterpillar Lymantra dispar

    • Noctuidae (owlet moths)

  • Daggermoth caterpillar Acronicta sp.

    • Pterophoridae (plume moths)

  • Himmelman's plume moth Geina tenuidactyla

    Order Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps, sawflies)

    Formicidae (ants)
  • Allegheny mound ant Formica exsectoides
  • Black carpenter ant Camponotus pennyslvanicus
  • Little black ant Monomorium minimum

    • Vespidae (vespid wasps)

  • Paper wasp Polistes sp.
  • Eastern yellow jacket Vespula maculifrons
  • A smaller Vespula species, almost all black

    • Specidae (sphecid wasps)

  • Black-and-yellow mud dauber Sceliphron caementarium
  • Great golden digger wasp Sphex ichneumoneus

    • Superfamily Apoidea (bees)

    Apidae (apids)

  • Honey bee Apis mellifera
  • American bumble bee Bombus pennsylvanicus

    • Halictidae
  • Green metallic bee Augochlora sp.

    • Class Chilopoda (centipedes)

  • some kind

    • Class Diplopoda (millipedes)

  • some kind

    • Subphylum Chelicerata

    Class Arachnida (arachnids)

    Order Araneae (spiders)

    Theridiidae (comb-footed spiders)
  • American house spider Achaeranea tepidariorum

    • Araneidae (orb weavers)

  • Orb weaver Araneus sp.

    • Agelenidae (funnel web weavers)

  • Grass spider Agelenopsis sp.

    • Lycosidae (wolf spiders)

  • some kind

    • Thomisidae (crab spiders)

  • a few kinds

    • Salticidae (jumping spiders)

  • many kinds

    • Order Opiliones (daddy-long-legs)

    Phalangiidae (daddy-long-legs)
  • Brown daddy-long-legs Phalangium opilio

    • Order Acarina (mites, ticks)

    Trombidiidae (velvet mites)
  • Velvet mite Trombidium sp.

    • Subphylum Crustacea (crustaceans)

    Order Decapoda (crayfish)

  • Crayfish

    • Order Copepoda

  • Cyclops Cyclops sp.

    • Class Malacostraca

    Order Isopoda

  • Sow bug Oniscus sp.

    • Phylum Mollusca

  • Slug (I think dusky slug, Arion subfuscus)
  • Snail with flat helical shell
  • Snail with upright, seashell-type shell

    • Phylum Annelida

  • Earthworm

    • Phylum Rotifera

    Order Collothecacea

  • Asplanchnopus sp.
    • Back to: Hilary & Jonathan's home page

    Copyright © 1996, 1997. Hilary Caws-Elwitt. Updated -- July 22, 2008.