Cretaceous-amber
Guides
Atelestidae
Atelestidae is a small family of flies in the superfamily Empidoidea, comprising approximately four extant genera. The family was formally established in 1983, having previously been classified within Platypezidae or as incertae sedis. Phylogenetic studies indicate Atelestidae represents the sister group to all other living Empidoidea, making it the most basal lineage of this diverse superfamily. The family includes both extant and fossil taxa, with the genus Alavesia known from Cretaceous amber and discovered alive in Namibia in 2010. The monophyly of the family remains incompletely resolved, with the genus Meghyperus likely requiring taxonomic revision.
Caeculidae
rake-legged mites
Caeculidae, commonly called rake-legged mites, is a family of large prostigmatic mites (750–3000 µm) and the sole family of the superfamily Caeculoidea. The family contains approximately 100 described species in seven genera distributed worldwide, with the oldest fossil records dating to the Cenomanian (approximately 100 million years ago) in Burmese amber. These mites are specialized ambush predators of arid environments, using modified forelegs to capture prey.
Callipodida
Crested Millipedes
Callipodida is an order of millipedes comprising approximately 130 species across three extant suborders and seven families. Members are characterized by elongated bodies with 40–60 segments, reaching up to 100 mm in length, and often display distinctive dorsal crests or ridges. The order exhibits a disjunct distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, with populations in North America, Europe, western Asia, southern China, and Southeast Asia. Sexual maturity is achieved through teloanamorphosis, with males possessing a single pair of gonopods derived from the seventh leg pair.
Chrysidoidea
Cuckoo Wasps and Allies
Chrysidoidea is a large, cosmopolitan superfamily of aculeate wasps comprising approximately 6,000 described species across seven extant families. The group includes three large, common families—Bethylidae, Chrysididae (cuckoo wasps), and Dryinidae—and four small, rare families—Embolemidae, Plumariidae, Sclerogibbidae, and Scolebythidae. All members are parasitoids or cleptoparasites of other insects. The superfamily is traditionally considered the basal taxon within Aculeata, with some species capable of stinging though their venom is harmless to humans. Members of Dryinidae and Embolemidae exhibit a unique life cycle where larvae begin development inside the host body and later form an external sac (thylacium) protruding from the host abdomen.