NPS/Big Bend National Park

Velvet Mite (Trombidium spp.)

Big Bend National Park is home to a very large diversity in forms of invertebrates. A typical trip to the park will offer many sightings of tiny creatures like the Velvet Mite (Trombidium spp.) to the large Tarantulas (Aphonopelma chalcodes). The many forms of hard-bodied invertebrates have been numbered near 3,600 species and counting. Given the remoteness and the lack of research, the parks invertebrate checklist is still growing.

Some of the most easily sighted invertebrates in the park include Millipedes (Diplopoda), Butterflies (Lepidoptera), Dragonflies (Odonata), and Grasshoppers (Orthoptera). Visitors interested in finding common invertebrates in Big Bend National Park can explore this section of the website to learn more.