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,
I have been unable to identify this caterpillar I found on the underside of a jade plant. Can you please tell me what it is?
Thanks!
Leslie”
Leslie, Riviera - June 27, 2022
“I saw a weird bug with 8 legs and two of them were really big. It was about 2 inches long.”
Flora, Nipomo, CA - May 30, 2022
“Hi!My daughter saw an interesting beetle at school (in Temecula, California), and she asked me if I knew what type of beetle it was. She took a photo of it with her phone (please see the attached imag...”
Scott, Murrieta, California - May 20, 2022
“Saw this on my front door today, is there an arachnologist you know who can identify it? It was a bigger spider than I typically see around here roughly the size of the largest wolf spiders I see here...”
Hans, Newbury Park, CA - May 6, 2022
“just read the answer you gave in 2020 regarding the interaction between the monarch caterpillars and the tachinid flies. We do not raise monarchs but have milkweed in an area of the garden, butterf...”
juliet, Malibu, CA - April 19, 2022
“My children and I are looking for assistance in identifying the exact type of mollusk these shells come from and the type of environment they would live in. We are in the process of mapping what we be...”
The Killen Family, Carpinteria - March 15, 2022
“When it is low tide at "my" tidepool (Rincon Point) I see such a wonderful variety of creatures, with and without shells. Can you point me to a web site or app that would help me identify who I am see...”
Sue, Carpinteria - February 4, 2022
“Hello- Would you know what type of shells these are? More importantly, I found them buried about 12 to 15 inches in a pit we dug for a fence post. I've also found many other smaller shards at various...”
Phil, Goleta, CA - January 10, 2022
“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 pass the pictur...”
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