Cretaceous-fossils
Guides
Derolathrus
Jacobson's beetles
Derolathrus is a genus of minute beetles in the family Jacobsoniidae, containing 12 described species. The genus includes both extant and extinct species, with fossil records from Cretaceous amber deposits in Myanmar and France. Several species exhibit troglomorphic adaptations, including reduced or absent eyes. The genus has a disjunct global distribution spanning tropical and subtropical regions.
Limnichidae
Minute Marsh-loving Beetles
Limnichidae is a family of small beetles in the superfamily Byrrhoidea, comprising at least 30 genera and 350 described species. The family exhibits considerable ecological diversity: while many species inhabit water-adjacent habitats such as riparian zones and coastal areas, others are fully terrestrial in leaf litter or arboreal environments. The subfamily Hyphalinae is uniquely specialized for intertidal marine habitats, with larvae capable of activity in seawater—a rarity among beetles. The oldest known fossils date to the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.
Lymexylidae
ship-timber beetles
Lymexylidae, commonly known as ship-timber beetles, are a family of wood-boring beetles in the suborder Polyphaga. They represent the sole family in the superfamily Lymexyloidea. The family contains over 60 species across four subfamilies and approximately 15 genera, including both extant and fossil taxa dating to the Cretaceous. Many species form obligate symbiotic relationships with ambrosia fungi, which they cultivate and consume rather than feeding directly on wood. Some species are significant economic pests of timber and living trees.
Melandryidae
False Darkling Beetles
Melandryidae, or false darkling beetles, is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea containing approximately 420 species in 60 genera. Members are found worldwide and are primarily associated with rotting wood and wood-decomposing fungi in both larval and adult stages. The family has a fossil record extending back to at least the mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) with specimens in Burmese amber, and the tribe Hypulini is documented from late Eocene Baltic amber. Many species are saproxylic, inhabiting dead and decaying wood in forest ecosystems.
Monotomidae
Minute Clubbed Beetles
Monotomidae is a family of small beetles in the superfamily Nitiduloidea, containing approximately 240 species in 33 genera. The family exhibits diverse ecological habits: members occur under tree bark, in decaying vegetation, on flowers, and in ant nests. Some species are mycophagous, feeding on ascomycete fungi, while others are predatory. The genus Rhizophagus includes species that prey on bark beetles and their immature stages.
Oligoneuriidae
Brushlegged Mayflies, Brushleg Mayflies
Oligoneuriidae is a family of mayflies characterized by specialized filtering structures on their nymphs' forelegs, earning them the common name "brushlegged mayflies." The family exhibits a pantropical distribution with at least 68 described species across over a dozen genera, including both extant and extinct lineages from the Cretaceous period. Nymphs possess two rows of setae on the forelegs used for filter feeding and tufts of gills at the base of their maxillae. The family has been documented from freshwater habitats across Africa, South America, the Mediterranean region, and the Middle East, with some species showing extended multiyear life cycles.
Prodiamesinae
Prodiamesinae is a subfamily of non-biting midges in the family Chironomidae. The subfamily contains at least four extant genera: Compteromesa, Monodiamesa, Odontomesa, and Prodiamesa, with additional fossil genera known from Cretaceous amber deposits. Species have been documented across the Holarctic region, including the Russian Far East, Tibetan Plateau, and North America. The subfamily has been subject to both morphological and molecular taxonomic studies, particularly for species discrimination using DNA barcoding.
Psyllipsocidae
Cave Barklice
Psyllipsocidae is a family of small psocid insects commonly known as cave barklice, comprising approximately 7 genera and more than 70 described species. The family belongs to the suborder Trogiomorpha within the order Psocodea. Members of this family have been recorded across multiple biogeographic realms including West Palaearctic, Afrotropical, Australian, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Oriental regions. Some genera, such as Dorypteryx, exhibit notably wide geographic distributions. Several extinct genera are known from Cretaceous amber deposits.
Thanerocleridae
Thanerocleridae is a small family of predaceous cleroid beetles comprising 36 extant species in 10 genera. Formerly classified as a subfamily of Cleridae, it was elevated to family rank based on molecular data. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions, with one relictual temperate genus (Zenodosus) in North America. Species occupy habitats associated with wood-decaying fungi and tree bark, where they prey on small beetles.
Zorotypidae
Angel Insects
Zorotypidae is the sole extant family of the insect order Zoraptera, commonly called angel insects. The family contains one extant genus, Zorotypus, with approximately 39 described living species and 9 extinct species known from amber deposits. These minute, soft-bodied insects exhibit a striking polymorphism: winged individuals possess dark coloration, compound eyes, ocelli, and sheddable wings similar to termites, while wingless individuals are pale, lack eyes and ocelli, and are generally more common. The family has a sparse but widespread distribution across tropical and subtropical regions.