UC Davis Natural Reserve System
Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve

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Invertebrates of Cold Canyon

Invertebrates are the animals lacking backbones, and a mind-boggling diversity of organisms fall into this category. In fact, invertebrates comprise over 95% of the millions of species inhabiting the earth. Many of these organisms live only in the ocean, and therefore do not occur anywhere near Cold Canyon. However, a huge diversity of arthropods (the group of invertebrates that includes insects and spiders) live in the reserve, and other invertebrates such as worms and snails are present but are less conspicuous.

Because there are so many species of invertebrates, and because closely related species are often very difficult to tell apart, it is often more convenient to group them into categories of relatedness that allow the novice to readily distinguish these groups. Therefore, instead of describing individual species, we describe groups of insects by order, a taxonomic distinction that contains thousands of species, all of which share many traits. For example, the order Lepidoptera contains all butterfly and moth species. There are over 200 species of butterflies and moths in the reserve, more than all the species of vertebrates! Some of butterfly and moth species can readily be distinguished from each other, but many others look remarkably similar.   For example, the shimmering green wings of the pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) make it an easily identifiable species, but several species of small, drab moths can often be distinguished only by examining the structure of their internal organs.

Invertebrates are often ignored or dismissed by the average nature lover, who is usually only concerned with the pesky buzzing of mosquitoes or the eerie tickle of the tick. Most of the invertebrates in Stebbins-Cold Canyon Reserve, however, are harmless to humans and even provide the keen observer with a wealth of interesting natural history. Because invertebrates are so small, tiny changes in the environment that we barely notice may constitute completely different habitats for invertebrates. For this reason, the reserve is ideal for teaching and research purposes, and also a great arena for the amateur entomologist.

While hiking the trails or enjoying lunch by the creek, take note of the invertebrate world around you. Various butterflies may pause to "mud-puddle" on the moist soil of the stream bed, where they sip essential nutrients. Water striders will entertain you with their pulsing dance on the water’s surface as dragonflies hover above, their iridescent blue bodies glinting in the sun.

Whether simply enjoying the variety and beauty of invertebrates or working on a "life-list" of those encountered, you should find this web-site helpful. The lists below describe several major groups of invertebrates as well as particular species that are conspicuous, easy to identify, or otherwise interesting. Click on the pictures for more information. The large number of missing taxonomic groups, such as spiders, mites, and worms, reflects a lack of knowledge of their diversity in Cold Canyon.

Insects

Spiders

Last Updated 03/09/06