Invertebrates of Virginia

Invertebrates (animals without backbones) include groups such as insects (e.g. butterflies, bees and dragonflies), millipedes and centipedes, mussels and snails, crayfish, earthworms, and spiders and ticks. As a group, invertebrates are the most numerous animals on earth. They perform essential ecological tasks such as pollinating plants, decomposing dead material, augmenting soils, filtering water and being a critical part of the food web both as predator and prey. In essence, we depend on invertebrates for our most basic needs.

Lists of Invertebrates

Lepidoptera: butterflies, skippers and moths (selected families) - Coming soon Hymenoptera (in part): bees (PDF), ants - The Ant list is coming soon Odonata: dragonflies and damselflies (PDF) Coleoptera: beetles (selected families)- Coming soon Diptera: flies (selected families) - Coming soon Mecoptera: scorpionflies, hangingflies and allies (PDF) Amphipoda: amphipods or scuds (selected genera) - Coming soon Isopoda: isopods or woodlice (freshwater species) - Coming soon Gastropoda: snails (terrestrial only) - Coming soon Bivalvia: mussels (selected families) - Coming soon