Dark-taxon
Guides
Ceraphronoidea
Ceraphronoidea is a small superfamily of minute parasitoid and hyperparasitoid wasps (0.5–4 mm body length) comprising two families: Ceraphronidae and Megaspilidae. Approximately 740 species have been described globally, though estimates suggest true diversity may reach 12,000–21,000 species. The group is among the most severely understudied parasitoid wasp lineages, with over 80% of species having unknown host associations. First described by Alexander Henry Haliday, Ceraphronoidea has been historically difficult to study due to morphological challenges including monotonous external morphology, extreme sexual dimorphism, and reduced wing venation.
Loxodocus opacus
Loxodocus opacus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Ichneumonidae, described by Townes in 1978. The genus Loxodocus is a small, poorly known group within the ichneumonid wasps. Very little biological or ecological information has been published for this species. Available records are sparse, with only two observations documented on iNaturalist. The species name "opacus" (Latin for "shaded" or "dark") likely refers to coloration characteristics.
Megaselia
scuttle flies
Megaselia is a hyperdiverse genus of scuttle flies (Phoridae) containing approximately half of all described species in the family. The genus has been characterized as an 'open-ended' or 'dark' taxon due to its extraordinary species richness and the difficulty of species-level identification using morphology alone. Many species remain undescribed, with estimates suggesting thousands of species worldwide. Recent taxonomic work has increasingly relied on DNA barcoding to delimit species, particularly in species complexes such as the M. sulphurizona group. The genus exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, with species acting as parasitoids, fungivores, saprophages, and predators.
Megaselia globipyga
Megaselia globipyga is a species of scuttle fly in the family Phoridae, described by Borgmeier in 1966. It belongs to the genus Megaselia, which contains approximately half of all described species in the Phoridae family and is characterized as a "dark taxon" due to its extreme diversity and taxonomic complexity. No specific biological or ecological information has been documented for this species.
Megaselia nantucketensis
Megaselia nantucketensis is a species of scuttle fly in the family Phoridae, described by Eiseman and Hartop in 2015. The species epithet indicates its association with Nantucket. Like other members of the genus Megaselia, it belongs to one of the most species-rich genera of flies, characterized by small body size and rapid, erratic running behavior. The species was described using modern taxonomic methods, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Megaselia perdita
Megaselia perdita is a species of scuttle fly in the family Phoridae, described by Malloch in 1912. It belongs to the genus Megaselia, which contains approximately half of all described species in the Phoridae family and is characterized as a "dark taxon" due to its extraordinary diversity and taxonomic complexity. The species has been recorded from Santa Catarina, Brazil. Like other members of its genus, it is likely extremely small and morphologically cryptic, contributing to the challenges of species identification without molecular data.
Megaselia ventralis
scuttle fly
Megaselia ventralis is a species of phorid fly (family Phoridae) described by Borgmeier in 1963. It belongs to the genus Megaselia, which comprises approximately half of all species in the Phoridae family and is characterized as a 'dark taxon' due to its extraordinary species diversity and taxonomic complexity. The species name 'ventralis' refers to a ventral character state, though specific details of this feature are not documented in the provided sources.
Spilomicrini
Spilomicrini is a tribe of small parasitoid wasps within the family Diapriidae (Hymenoptera). Members are generally melanic (dark-colored), with body lengths ranging from 1.5–4.5 mm. The tribe includes at least 14 genera and exhibits high sexual dimorphism and intraspecific morphological variation, which complicates species identification. The genus Spilomicrus alone contains over 100 described species with worldwide distribution.
Synopeas
Synopeas is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in family Platygastridae, comprising approximately 400 described species. Species in this genus are known to parasitize gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), with several species documented as biological control agents of agricultural pests including the soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima) and swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii). Some species exhibit distinctive morphological features such as greatly elongated metasomas. The genus is understudied and considered part of a 'dark taxon' with high diversity but limited ecological and taxonomic documentation.