Amber
Guides
Apionion
Apionion is a genus of weevils in the family Brentidae, established by Kissinger in 1998. The genus is known from Central America, with two described species from Dominican amber: Apionion formoculus and Apionion formosus, both described by Poinar & Legalov in 2015. These are fossil species preserved in amber, indicating the genus has existed since at least the Miocene.
Bibiodes
March flies
Bibiodes is a genus of march flies (family Bibionidae) established by Coquillett in 1904. The genus contains eight described species, including two extinct species known from Baltic amber (B. balticus and B. nanus) and one from Florissant shale (B. intermedia). Most extant species are found in the Northern Hemisphere, with records from North America, Europe, and China.
Camerobiidae
Camerobiidae is a family of prostigmatan mites within the superfamily Raphignathoidea, characterized by distinctly long and slender stilt-like legs. The family includes several genera, notably Camerobia, Neophyllobius, and Tycherobius, with species recorded from Australia, Türkiye, and fossil deposits in Eocene Baltic amber. These mites are associated with aboveground vegetation and various litter habitats. The fossil record was previously limited to a single species but has been expanded with recent descriptions of additional fossil taxa.
Cryptorhopalum
Cryptorhopalum is a genus of skin beetles (family Dermestidae) known only from the Americas, ranging from North to South America. The genus includes both extant and fossil species, with several species preserved in amber. The immature stages of at least one species, C. triste, have been described in detail.
Cryptorhynchina
hidden-snout weevils
Cryptorhynchina is a subtribe of weevils within the subfamily Cryptorhynchinae, commonly known as hidden-snout weevils. The group has gained scientific attention through fossil evidence showing that at least one extinct species within this lineage served as an orchid pollinator approximately 20–45 million years ago. No present-day members of this subtribe have been documented carrying orchid pollinaria, though this absence may reflect their secretive behavior rather than lack of ecological interaction.
Eucinetus
plate-thigh beetles
Eucinetus is a genus of plate-thigh beetles in the family Eucinetidae, first described by Germar in 1818. The genus contains at least four extant species, with numerous additional species described in 2019 from both modern and fossil contexts. Notably, Eucinetus has been identified from mid-Cretaceous amber (~100 million years old), representing a striking case of long-term evolutionary stasis. The genus exhibits morphological conservatism while maintaining a specialized subcortical lifestyle.
Malthodini
Malthodini is a tribe of soldier beetles within the subfamily Malthininae. The tribe contains both extant and fossil species, with the oldest confirmed record being the extinct genus *Archaeomalthodes* from 99-million-year-old Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. This fossil discovery represents the oldest documented occurrence of the subfamily Malthininae, indicating the tribe's origins extend to at least the Late Cretaceous.
Merothrips
Merothrips is a genus of thrips comprising approximately 19 described species in the family Merothripidae. The genus includes both extant species found in subtropical regions and fossil species preserved in amber. Merothrips species have been documented in South America, particularly Brazil, where multiple species occur in sympatry. A fossil species, Merothrips aithiopicus, was described from Miocene-aged Ethiopian amber.
Onthophilus
clown beetles
Onthophilus is a genus of clown beetles (family Histeridae) containing over 40 described species. The genus has a fossil record extending back approximately 100 million years, with specimens preserved in Burmese amber. A Cretaceous relative, Cretonthophilus tuberculatus, provides exceptional insight into early histerid morphology and potential ecological associations.
Pelecotominae
Pelecotominae is a subfamily of Ripiphoridae beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) established by Guérin-Méneville in 1857. The subfamily has a sparse fossil record, with confirmed specimens from Eocene Baltic amber and the first definitive Cretaceous record from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber (approximately 99 million years ago). Extant genera include Clinops, distributed in South Africa, and Scotoscopus, found in the East Mediterranean region. The subfamily's disjunct modern distribution has been interpreted as reflecting relictual ranges tied to geological history.
Phylocentropus
Phylocentropus is a genus of caddisflies (order Trichoptera) in the family Dipseudopsidae, containing approximately 17 described extant species. The genus was established by Nathan Banks in 1907. Fossil species have been documented from Lebanese amber (Barremian, Early Cretaceous) and New Jersey amber (Turonian, Late Cretaceous), indicating a long evolutionary history. Members of this genus are part of the subfamily Hyalopsychinae.
Scutigerella
garden symphylans, garden centipedes (misapplied)
Scutigerella is a genus of symphylans (class Symphyla) established by John A. Ryder in 1882, with S. immaculata as the type species. It is the second-largest genus in the family Scutigerellidae, comprising at least 35 extant species plus two fossil species preserved in amber. Species range from 3.5 to 9 mm in length and are characterized by a heart-shaped head with spiracles on the anterior surface, 20–50 segmented antennae, 15 tergites with notched posterior margins, and 12 pairs of legs. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution centered in northern temperate zones, with introduced populations in Australasia and Oceania.
Vicelva
Vicelva is an extant genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae) described in 1973. A fossil species, V. rasilis, from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber provides the earliest known record of the genus. Extant species occur in western North America, the Russian Far East, and Kazakhstan. The biology of living species remains poorly documented.