This list of invertebrates of California lists invertebrate species (animals without a backbone) found in the U.S. state of California. This list includes animals from land, freshwater, and the ocean. The phyla are listed in alphabetical order.
Species that are endemic to the State of California are indicated using an , introduced species with an , and invasive species with an .
Acanthocephala
Acoelomorpha Species Common namePolychoerus carmelensis
Annelida Many of these species were described by Hulton Wood and Samuel James. SpeciesWood & James (1993)James, S W (1994) Common nameAllolobophora chloroticaGreen wormAporrectodea caliginosaGrey wormAporrectodea trapezoidesAporrectodea tuberculataArgilophilus papilliferArgilophilus margaritaeDendrobaena rubidaDiplocardia californianaDiplocardia woodiDiplocardia montanaDodecaceria fewkesi Fringed filament wormEisenia roseaEiseniella tetraedraLumbricidae juvenilesMicroscolex dubiusSabaco elongatusTube wormGlycera americanaAmerican bloodworm
Class Polychaeta Species Common nameArctonoe vittataScalewormDodecaceria fewkesiFringed filament wormDorvillea monilocerasCandy-striped polychaeteEudistylia polymorphaGiant feather duster wormFicopomatus enigmaticusAustralian tubewormHalosydna brevisetosaEighteen-scaled wormHarmothoe inbricataFifteen-scaled wormNereis vexillosa Pile wormPhragmatopoma californicaCalifornia sandcastle wormPoeobius meseresBalloon wormSerpula columbianaRed-trumpet tubewormSpirobranchus spinosusPanamic Christmas tree wormUrechis caupoFat innkeeper worm
Arthropoda Subphylum Crustacea
Class Branchiopoda
Order Anostraca
Family Branchinectidae, fairy shrimp Species Common nameBranchinecta conservatio Conservancy fairy shrimpBranchinecta longiantenna Longhorn fairy shrimp Branchinecta sandiegoensis San Diego fairy shrimpBranchinecta lynchi Vernal Pool fairy shrimpStreptocephalus woottoni Riverside fairy shrimpPacifastacus fortis Shasta crayfish, placid crayfish
Order Notostraca, tadpole shrimp Species Common nameLepidurus cryptus Cryptic pool tadpole shrimpLepidurus lemmoni Lynch tadpole shrimpLepidurus packardi Vernal pool tadpole shrimpTriops longicaudatus Longtail tadpole shrimp
Order Anomopoda water fleas Species Common nameDumontia oregonensis Hairy water fleaPicripleuroxus denticulatus
Class Hexanauplia Species Common nameBalanus glandulaPacific acorn barnacleBalanus nubilusGiant acorn barnacleChthamalus dalliLittle brown barnacle Dosima fascicularisBuoy barnacleLepas pacificaPacific gooseneck barnacleMegabalanus californicus California barnacleParaconcavus pacificusRed-striped acorn barnaclePollicipes polymerus Gooseneck barnacleSemibalanus cariosusThatched barnacleTetraclita rubescens Pink volcano barnacle
Class Malacostraca
Order Decapoda, decapods Species Common nameSyncaris pacifica California freshwater shrimpNeotrypaea californiensis Bay ghost shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus Korean shrimp Loxorhynchus grandis Sheep crabTaliepus nuttallii Southern kelp crabLoxorhynchus crispatus Decorator crabOregonia gracilis Graceful decorator crabEmerita analoga Pacific sand crab, pacific mole crab Pachygrapsus crassipes Striped shore crab Planes minutus Gulfweed crabPyromaia tuberculata Spider crab, tuberculate pear crabCarcinus maenas European green crab, green crab, green shore crab Eriocheir sinensis Chinese mitten crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis Yellow shore crabRhithropanopeus harrisii Harris crab Randallia ornata Globe crabPanulirus interruptus California spiny lobster
Order Isopoda, isopods Species Common nameBathynomus giganteus Giant isopodElthusa californica Elthusa vulgaris Synidotea laevidorsalis
Suborder Oniscidea, woodlice Species Common nameAlloniscus mirabilis Stuxberg, 1875 Alloniscus perconvexus Dana, 1856 Cubaris affinis Dana, 1854 Cubaris californica Budde-Lund, 1885 Venezillo arizonicus Mulaik and Mulaik, 1942 Venezillo microphthalmus Arcangeli, 1932 Armadillidium vulgare Latreille, 1804 Common pill-bug, common pill woodlouse, roly-poly, potato bug, slater, doodle bugArmadilloniscus coronacapitalis Menzies, 1950 Armadilloniscus holmesi Arcangeli, 1933 Armadilloniscus lindahli Richardson, 1905 Detonella paillicornis Richardson, 1904 Ligia pallasii Brandt, 1833 Rock louseLigidium gracile Dana, 1856 Ligidium latum Jackson, 1923 Oniscus asellus Linnaeaus, 1758 Common woodlouseLittorophiloscia richardsonae Holmes & Gay, 1909 Niambia capensis Dollfus, 1895 Platyarthrus aiasensis Legrand, 1953 Porcellio dilatatus Brandt, 1833 Giant canyon isopodPorcellio laevis Latreille, 1804 Porcellio scaber Latreille, 1804 Rough WoodlousePorcellionides floria Garthwaite & Sassaman, 1985 Haplophthalmus danicus Budde-Lund, 1885 Terrestrial cave isopodTylos punctatus Holmes & Gay, 1909
Order Amphipoda, amphiopods Species Common namePhronima sedentaria Barrel amphiopod
Class Insecta California has over 30,000 insects in the entire state.
Order Coleoptera
Family Carabidae, ground beetles Species Common nameCicindela ohlone Ohlone tiger beetleElaphrus viridisDelta green ground beetle
Family Cerambycidae, longhorn beetles Species Common nameDesmocerus californicus dimorphus Valley elderberry longhorn beetleDesmocerus californicus californicus California elderberry longhorn beetle
Family Scarabaeidae, scarabs Species Common namePolyphylla barbata Mount Hermon June beetlePolyphylla decemlineata Ten-lined June beetleChrysochus cobaltinus Cobalt milkweed beetleDiabrotica undecimpunctata Spotted cucumber beetle
Order Collembola, springtails
Order Dermaptera, earwigs Species Common nameEuborellia annulipes Ring-legged EarwigForficula auricularia European earwig, common earwigLabidura riparia Shore earwig
Order Dictyoptera
Order Diptera, flies and mosquitoes Species Common nameAblautus schlingeri Oso Flaco robber flyApiocera warneri Glamis sand flyBrennania belkini Belkin's dune tabanid flyEfferia antiochi Antioch efferian robberflyEfferia macroxipha Glamis robberflyMetapogon hurdi Hurd's metapogon robberflyParacoenia calida Wilbur Springs shore flyRhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis Delhi Sands flower-loving fly
Order Embiidina, webspinners and footspinners Species Common nameHaploembia solieri Bicolored webspinnerHaploembia tarsalis Pink webspinnerOligotoma nigra Black webspinnerOligotoma saundersii Saunders' webspinner
Order Ephemeroptera
Order Grylloblattidae
Order Hemiptera
Family Macroveliidae Species Common nameOravelia pege Dry Creek cliff strider bug
Family Pentatomidae Species Common nameBagrada hilaris Bagrada bugChlorochroa belfragii Belfragi's chlorochroan BugChlorochroa faceta Chlorochroa kanei Chlorochroa ligata Conchuela bugChlorochroa opuntiae Chlorochroa rossiana Chlorochroa sayi Say's stink bugChlorochroa uhleri Uhler's stink bugCosmopepla conspicillaris Hedge nettle stink bugCosmopepla intergressa Cosmopepla lintneriana Twice-stabbed stink bugCosmopepla uhleri Murgantia histrionica Harlequin bug
Family Saldidae, shorebugs Species Common nameSaldula usingeri Wilbur Springs shorebug
Order Hymenoptera, sawflies, bees, wasps, and ants Species Common nameApis mellifera Western honey bee, European honey beeBombus crotchii Crotch bumble beeBombus suckleyi Suckley cuckoo bumble beeBombus occidentalis occidentalis Western bumble beeBombus franklini Franklin bumble beeChalybion californicum Blue mud wasp, mud dauberPepsis pallidolimbata Tarantula hawkPolistes dominula European paper waspSceliphron caementarium Black and yellow mud dauberSphex ichneumoneus Great golden digger waspVespula sulphurea California yellowjacket, western yellowjacket
Order Isoptera, termites
Order Lepidoptera, butterfiles and moths
Family Hesperiidae, skippers Species Common namePyrgus ruralis lagunae Laguna Mountains skipperPyrgus communis Common checkered skipperOchlodes sylvanoides Woodland skipperOchlodes yuma Yuma skipperHylephila phyleus Fiery skipperPoanes melane Umber skipperAmblyscirtes vialis Roadside skipperAtalopedes campestris Field skipper, sachemCarterocephalus palaemon Arctic skipperEpargyreus clarus Silver-spotted skipperHeliopetes ericetorum Northern white skipperErynnis propertius Propertius duskywingErynnis tristis Mournful duskywingErynnis brizo lacustra Leathery oak duskywing, sleepy duskywingErynnis funeralis Funereal duskywing
Family Nymphalidae Species Common name Speyeria zerene behrensii Behren's silverspot butterfly Speyeria callippe Callippe fritillary Speyeria callippe callippe Callippe silverspot butterflySpeyeria zerene myrtleae Myrtle's silverspot butterflySpeyeria zerene hippolyta Oregon silverspot butterfly Euphydryas editha bayensis Bay checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas editha quino Quino checkerspotEuphydryas chalcedona Variable checkerspotVanessa atalantaRed admiral Vanessa carduiPainted ladyVanessa annabellaWest coast ladyVanessa virginiensisAmerican ladyNymphalis antiopaMourning cloakNymphalis californicaCalifornia tortoiseshellNymphalis milbertiMilbert's Tortoiseshell
Family Lycaenidae, gossamer-winged butterflies Species Common nameEuphilotes enoptes smithi Smith's blue butterfly Euphilotes battoides allyni El Segundo blue butterfly Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis Palos Verdes blue butterfly Icaricia icarioides missionensis Mission blue butterfly Incisalia mossii bayensis San Bruno elfin butterfly Plebejus idas lotis Lotis blue butterfly
Family Riodinidae, metalmarks Species Common nameApodemia mormo langei Lange's metalmark butterflyApodemia mormo Mormon metalmark
Family Sphingidae, hawk moths, sphinx moths Species Common nameEuproserpinus euterpe Kern primrose sphinx mothEumorpha achemon Achemon sphinxHyles lineata White-lined sphinx
Family Papilionidae, hawk moths, sphinx moths Species Common nameBattus philenor Pipevine swallowtailPapilio zelicaon Anise swallowtailPapilio rutulus Western tiger swallowPapilio multicaudata Two-tailed swallowtailPapilio eurymedon Pale swallowtailPapilio indra Indra swallowtailParnassius clodius Clodius ParnassianParnassius phoebus behrii Behr's Parnassian
Order Mallophaga, bird lice, biting lice
Order Mecoptera, scorpionflies Species Common nameOrobittacus obscurus Gold rush hanging scorpionfly
Order Neuroptera
Order Odonata, dragonflies and damselflies
Suborder Anisoptera Species Common nameAeshna palmata Paddle-tailed darnerAeshna walkeri Walker's darnerAnax junius Common green darnerAnax walsinghami Giant darnerCordulegaster dorsalis Pacific spiketailErpetogomphus compositus White-belted spiketailErpetogomphus lampropeltis Serpent ringtailMacromia magnifica Western river cruiserOctogomphus specularis GrappletailProgomphus borealisGray sanddragonRhionaeschna californicaCalifornia darnerRhionaeschna multicolorBlue-eyed darnerRhionaeschna psilusTurquoise-tipped darnerStylurus intricatusBrimstone clubtailStylurus plagiatusRusset-tipped clubtail
Family Libellulidae