My continuing fieldwork in western North America is broad in geographical scope, but focused on habitats and areas threatened by habitat destruction, climate change, and/or introduced invasive species. Perhaps surprising to most people is the fact that many new species remain to be discovered in this region, and virtually all of the species of the region are too poorly known for us to understand their basic survival requirements. I’m involved in adding to our inventory of the diversity of the region by describing new species as I find discovered them. I’m also involved, with numerous colleagues, in trying to learn more about the basic life histories of some of our local threatened or endangered carabid beetle species, such as the Delta Green Ground Beetle, Elaphrus viridis Horn, or the Ohlone Tiger Beetle, Cicindela ohlone Freitag & Kavanaugh—information that is still unknown, yet essential to any successful recovery programs for such species.
Elaphrus viridis Horn. Photo by Dong Lin.
Henry Mountains, southern Utah; viewed from the north. Photo by David H. Kavanaugh.