2014-revision

Guides

• Arenivaga

  sand cockroaches, desert cockroaches

  Arenivaga is a genus of sand cockroaches in the family Corydiidae, comprising approximately 48 species distributed across the southwestern United States, Florida, and Mexico. These insects are highly adapted to arid environments, inhabiting sandy soils and dunes with moisture content below 1%. The genus exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, with winged males and wingless, fossorial females that 'swim' through sand. A 2014 revision by Heidi Hopkins added 39 new species to the previously known nine, revealing a remarkable radiation in desert habitats.

  cockroachesBlattodeadesert-faunafossorialsexual-dimorphismwater-vapor-absorptionsand-dunesmycophagyCorydiidaeNorth-AmericaMexicoFlorida-endemism2014-revisionHeidi-Hopkins

• Pelecinobaccha

  A genus of hoverflies in the family Syrphidae, endemic to the Neotropical region. Formerly treated as part of the paraphyletic genus Ocyptamus, it was reinstated as a distinct genus based on phylogenetic evidence. The genus contains four species groups and approximately 49 species, many described in a 2014 revision. Adults are presumably pollinators like other syrphid flies, though specific biological data remain poorly documented.

  DipteraSyrphidaehoverflyNeotropicalendemictaxonomic-revision2014-revisionOcyptamus-splitpollinatorSyrphinaeSyrphini