Invertebrates
See our handy guide to critters found in local homes and our Central Coast Butterfly FAQ. Browse the insects and other terrestrial arthropods we’ve identified. Check out local marine invertebrates, particularly bivalve mollusks and intertidal organisms.
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- Recently Asked
“Hello, this funny little bug crawled up onto my phone a few days ago and we have no idea what it is. I’ve asked around and nobody has been able to figure it out. I was hoping you could pas...”
Domanique, Santa Barbara - December 8, 2021
“Do you know what these are? There are several clusters on one of our tomato plants.”
Jane, Santa Barbara - November 23, 2021
“Hello Dr. Chaney and Dr. Geiger,
I recently procured two scaphopod shells from the nature exchange. I plan to gift them to my brother, who inherited an extensive shell collection from a r...”
Harrison - October 31, 2021
“Hello,
My son and I were wondering if this is a grasshopper. If so, which species?”
Hans, Newbury Park, CA - October 28, 2021
“Hello,
I recently came upon this cotton-like mass engulfing a green caterpillar. Looking closer the cotton-like mass contained perhaps hundreds of wiggling white larvae. I've been unable...”
Scott, El Paso, Texas - September 26, 2021
“I went to sniff a flower in my yard and it was chowing down on a bee!”
Ann Fox, Santa Barbara County - September 23, 2021
“I saw this bee in Oxnard licking a plumeria leaf, roughly about 1/4” in size. The hind end area has a longish black part sort of like a stinger. The body is greenish and the eyes are defin...”
Amy, Oxnard - September 1, 2021
“Hello, Hoping your experts there can help identify this very large brown moth that was in my house. My photo is not very good. The moth was about five inches across.”
Lisa, Ventura County - August 26, 2021
“Hi there,
Is early July very early to be seeing tarantulas walking around? This one (ebony?) was spotted July 3 in the Carpinteria foothills at about 9:30 PM. Coincidentally, we...”
Claire, Santa Barbara County - August 13, 2021
“I took this photo last weekend at the SB Botanic Garden. I couldn't find an example of one in the online beetle ID sources I looked at.
Thank you!”
Kevin, Santa Barbara - August 5, 2021
