Antifreeze-proteins

Guides

  • Dendroides canadensis

    fire-colored beetle, Canada Fire-colored Beetle

    Dendroides canadensis, commonly known as the fire-colored beetle or Canada Fire-colored Beetle, is a species in the family Pyrochroidae. Adults range from 7 to 16 mm in length and display distinctive coloration with black head and elytra contrasting with reddish-brown thorax and legs. The species is notable for having both freezing tolerance and freezing susceptibility (supercooling) adaptations, representing the first documented instance of overwintering by switching between these two mechanisms. Larvae inhabit the cambial layer under bark of decaying hardwood logs.

  • Helopini

    darkling beetles

    Helopini is a tribe of darkling beetles within the family Tenebrionidae, containing at least 50 genera. Members are distributed across diverse habitats from lowlands to high-altitude areas, including cold environments. Several species have been documented feeding on lichens, with some showing specialized associations with particular lichen families. The tribe includes both native and introduced species, with some taxa demonstrating cold-adaptation mechanisms including antifreeze proteins.

  • Rhagium

    flower longhorn beetles, ribbed pine borers

    Rhagium is a genus of flower longhorn beetles in the subfamily Lepturinae, family Cerambycidae. The genus contains approximately 25 described species distributed across the Holarctic region, with notable species including the widespread Rhagium inquisitor (ribbed pine borer) and Rhagium mordax. Species in this genus exhibit distinctive morphological features including relatively short antennae compared to other cerambycids, often with ribbed or sculptured elytra. The genus is notable for containing the only North American cerambycid known to overwinter as adults (R. inquisitor).