Riparian: The insect species commonly found in the river corridor and tributaries are midges, caddis flies, mayflies, stoneflies, black flies, mites, beetles, butterflies, moths, and fire ants. Numerous species of spiders and several species of scorpions including the bark scorpion and the giant hairy scorpion inhabit the riparian zone.

Desert Scrub and Coniferous Forest: Numerous insects and arachnids live in Grand Canyon National Park's desert scrub and coniferous forest habitats. Some of the common insects found at elevations above 2,000 feet are orange paper wasps, honey bees, black flies, tarantula hawks, stink bugs, beetles, black ants, and monarch and swallowtail butterflies. While scorpions are found mostly in the lower elevations, solpugids, wood spiders, garden spiders, black widow spiders and tarantulas can be found crawling around in the higher elevations.

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The Love Song of Summer (audiocast)

Everyone is trying to escape the heat. Everyone except for one love struck Romeo, singing loudly under the full punishing glare of the summer sun. From deep within the Canyon, echoes the love song of the Cicada.

Audiocast by Park Ranger Haley Bercot 
Download the Transcript (32kb PDF File)
Download link (4.73MB MP3 File) cut and paste this link into your media player: http://www.nps.gov/grca/photosmultimedia/upload/20090330InGRCA_cicada.mp3

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Related Information

Grand Canyon Invertebrate Species Collection (1.7MB XLS File)

Grand Canyon Threatened & Endangered Species List (52kb PDF File)

Arizona Game and Fish Web Site