Eocene
Guides
Ambositrinae
Ambositrinae is a subfamily of small parasitoid wasps within the family Diapriidae, established by Lubomir Masner in 1961. The group exhibits a predominantly Gondwanan distribution, with most extant species occurring in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and South America. The subfamily has been documented from Eocene amber deposits in Europe, indicating a broader historical distribution. Taxonomic revision of Australian Ambositrinae has identified multiple genera and numerous species, with wing reduction being a notable morphological feature in some lineages.
Ankothrips
Ankothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Melanthripidae. It is recognized as the most ancient extant thrips genus, with fossil evidence indicating an origin in the Early Cretaceous period approximately 94 million years ago. The genus exhibits remarkable morphological stability over this timespan, with two fossil species described from French amber: Ankothrips dupeae from the Late Cretaceous and Ankothrips deploegi from the earliest Eocene. This long-term morphological conservatism is rare among insects.
Anypotactini
Anypotactini is a Neotropical weevil tribe in the subfamily Entiminae, comprising 81 described species across 13 genera. The tribe is characterized by small body size and distinctive scale coverage. Its modern distribution spans from the southwestern United States to southern South America, with the highest diversity in Central America and northern South America. The tribe has also been documented from Eocene deposits in Europe, indicating a broader historical distribution during warmer climatic periods.
Aradus pictellus
Aradus pictellus is a species of flat bug in the family Aradidae, order Hemiptera. Flat bugs in this genus are typically found in association with dead wood habitats. The species is part of a diverse genus with both extant and fossil representatives, including species preserved in Baltic amber dating to the Eocene epoch.
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.
Callidium
Callidium is a genus of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) comprising approximately 24 described species distributed across North America and Eurasia. Species are associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines and spruces, where larvae develop in dead or dying wood. The genus has a fossil record extending from the Eocene to the Pliocene in Europe.
Cantharinae
soldier beetles
Cantharinae is a subfamily of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae, comprising at least 200 described species. The subfamily is divided into two extant tribes—Cantharini and Podabrini—plus the extinct tribe †Cacomorphocerini known from Baltic amber. Members are distributed globally and are among the most frequently observed beetles in temperate regions. The subfamily has been extensively documented in amber deposits, with multiple fossil genera described from Cretaceous and Eocene deposits.
Clavigeritae
Clavigeritae is a supertribe of minute rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) comprising approximately 370 described species. These beetles are obligate myrmecophiles, living socially parasitic lives within ant colonies. The group exhibits extreme morphological specialization for this lifestyle, including body segment fusions and unique glandular structures. The 52-million-year-old fossil Protoclaviger trichodens from India represents the oldest known myrmecophilous beetle and reveals transitional features between ancestral and modern forms.
Cordyla
Cordyla is a genus of fungus gnats in the family Mycetophilidae, subfamily Mycetophilinae, tribe Exechiini. These small flies are characterized by a hunchbacked body profile, elongate coxae, and relatively long legs compared to similar groups. The genus has been documented from Eocene fossil deposits, including well-preserved specimens from the Green River Formation of Colorado. Species-level identification typically requires examination of eye structure and other subtle morphological features.
Cordyla volucris
Cordyla volucris is a species of fungus gnat in the family Mycetophilidae, subfamily Mycetophilinae, described by Johannsen in 1909. The genus Cordyla is characterized by a hunchbacked thorax and relatively long legs compared to similar fungus gnat families. Fossil specimens attributed to this group have been identified from the Eocene Green River Formation in Colorado, though definitive species-level identification of fossil material remains challenging. The family Mycetophilidae has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with several subgroups elevated to family rank.
Dinokanaga andersoni
Dinokanaga andersoni is an extinct species of scorpionfly (order Mecoptera) described from Eocene-aged deposits. It belongs to the family Dinopanorpidae, a group of extinct mecopterans known from compression fossils. The species was established by Archibald in 2005 based on fossil material. As with other members of its family, it represents part of the diverse insect fauna that inhabited forests during the Eocene epoch.
Dinokanaga dowsonae
Dinokanaga dowsonae is an extinct species of scorpionfly described from Eocene fossil deposits in British Columbia, Canada. It belongs to the family Dinopanorpidae, a group of large-bodied mecopterans known from the Paleogene of North America and Asia. The species was named by paleoentomologist S. Bruce Archibald in 2005 based on well-preserved wing specimens. Like other dinopanorpids, it represents part of the diverse insect fauna that inhabited warm temperate forests during the early Cenozoic.
Ectobius
wood cockroaches, field cockroaches
Ectobius is a genus of small, cool-adapted cockroaches in the family Ectobiidae. Adults measure 6–12 mm in length with brown to yellowish coloration and pale margins. The genus has a complex biogeographic history: fossil evidence from the 49-million-year-old Green River Formation in Colorado indicates Ectobius originated in North America, despite its long absence from the continent until recent reintroductions. Species are primarily distributed across Europe, Africa, the eastern Palearctic, and the Near East. Several species have been introduced to northeastern North America within the last 65 years, where Ectobius lapponicus has become synanthropic.
Embolemidae
Embolemidae is a small family of solitary parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Chrysidoidea, comprising approximately 70 extant species in 2 genera (Embolemus and Ampulicomorpha, the latter sometimes treated as a junior synonym). The family exhibits striking sexual dimorphism: females are wingless and ant-mimicking, while males possess wings. Known biology is limited, but documented hosts include planthopper nymphs in the families Achilidae and Cixiidae. The family has a global distribution with fossil records extending to the Early Cretaceous.
Eupariini
eupariine dung beetles, small dung beetles
Eupariini is a diverse tribe of small dung beetles in the subfamily Aphodiinae (Scarabaeidae). The tribe comprises over 40 genera and approximately 640 described species globally, with exceptional diversity in the Neotropics where around 28 genera and 333 species occur. Members are smaller than their sister lineage Scarabaeinae. The tribe has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Australian, Oriental, and Neotropical zoogeographical regions, with fossil representatives known from Eocene Baltic amber.
Hydrotrupes
Hydrotrupes is a genus of diving beetles (Dytiscidae: Agabinae) established by Sharp in 1882. The genus contains three species: two extant (H. chinensis in eastern China and H. palpalis in western North America) and one fossil (H. prometheus from Eocene Baltic amber). The fossil record establishes Hydrotrupes as at least 40 million years old and demonstrates remarkable morphological conservation over this timespan. The current disjunct distribution of living species is interpreted as a relict of a formerly widespread distribution across northern continents during the Eocene.
Hygrotini
Hygrotini is a tribe of small diving beetles in the subfamily Hydroporinae. The tribe contains approximately 137 species, most of which inhabit freshwater environments. Multiple lineages have independently evolved tolerance to saline and hypersaline conditions, with some species surviving in concentrations more than double that of seawater.
Hypulini
Hypulini is a tribe of false darkling beetles (family Melandryidae) first described by Gistel in 1848. The tribe has a fossil record extending to at least the late Eocene, with the extinct genus Madelinia gedanoposita described from Baltic amber. The tribe's present-day geographic distribution has been mapped in recent taxonomic studies.
Isomira
comb-clawed beetles
Isomira is a genus of comb-clawed beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, subfamily Alleculinae. The genus was established by Mulsant in 1856 and includes both extant and fossil species. Fossil evidence from Baltic amber indicates the genus has existed since at least the Eocene epoch. Species within Isomira are distributed across Europe and North America.
Malthinus
soldier beetles
Malthinus is a genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae containing more than 140 described species. The genus has been recorded from Europe, North America, Japan, and the Canary Islands. Species occupy diverse habitats ranging from mountainous regions to lowland areas, with some showing distinct altitudinal preferences. The genus has a fossil record extending to the Eocene, with specimens preserved in Baltic amber.
Malthodes
soldier beetles
Malthodes is a genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae, containing at least 120 described species. The genus has a long evolutionary history, with fossil relatives dating back to the Late Cretaceous (~99 million years ago). Extant species are distributed across the Palaearctic region, including Europe, the Caucasus, and East Asia. The genus is taxonomically active, with new species described recently from Japan and the Greater Caucasus.
Mythicomyiidae
micro bee flies, mythicomyiids, microbombyliids
Mythicomyiidae are minute flies (0.5–5.0 mm) historically treated as a subfamily of Empididae or Bombyliidae, but elevated to family rank based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence. The family comprises 35 genera and over 450 described species, with hundreds more awaiting description. They exhibit highest diversity in Africa and are especially abundant in desert and semi-desert regions globally. The lineage dates to the Middle Jurassic, making it older than any known Bombyliidae.
Nephrocerinae
Nephrocerinae is a subfamily of big-headed flies within the family Pipunculidae. The group contains at least two described genera: the extant Nephrocerus (tribe Nephrocerini) and the fossil genus †Priabona from the Eocene Florissant Formation. Members of this subfamily are parasitoids, though specific host associations remain poorly documented compared to other pipunculid lineages.
Opatrini
darkling beetles
Opatrini is a tribe of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) comprising approximately 281 genera and about 4,000 species, representing one of the most species-rich lineages within the family. The tribe was historically placed in subfamily Tenebrioninae but was transferred to the resurrected subfamily Blaptinae in 2021 based on phylogenetic analyses. The fossil genus Eupachypterus from Eocene Oise amber demonstrates that Opatrini-like morphology has persisted for over 50 million years. The tribe includes several subtribes, with molecular studies supporting the monophyly of Blapstinina and revealing complex relationships among geographically distributed genera.
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.
Pristocerinae
Pristocerinae is a subfamily of Bethylidae, a family of parasitoid wasps. The group includes both extant and extinct species, with fossil evidence from Eocene Baltic amber. Members are characterized by reduced wing venation and sexual dimorphism between males and females. A notable fossil discovery from the Yantarny amber mine preserved a male and female specimen together, providing rare direct evidence of conspecific association in Hymenoptera.
Pseudogarypus
Pseudogarypus is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Pseudogarypidae, first described by Ellingsen in 1909. The genus includes both extant and extinct species, with at least four species known from Eocene fossils preserved in Baltic amber. Members of this genus are distinguished by distinctive morphological features including horn-like protrusions on the thorax and elongated chelae. The extinct species P. synchrotron was described in 2011 using synchrotron imaging to reveal details obscured by amber inclusions.
Raglius
dirt-colored seed bugs
Raglius is a genus of dirt-colored seed bugs in the family Rhyparochromidae, established by Stål in 1872. The genus comprises approximately 11 described species, including three extinct species known from Eocene fossils. Species within this genus are distributed across Europe and parts of Asia, with records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden confirmed. The genus is part of the tribe Rhyparochromini within the subfamily Rhyparochrominae.
Schizopodidae
False Jewel Beetles
Schizopodidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Buprestoidea, suborder Polyphaga. Formerly treated as a subfamily of Buprestidae, it was elevated to family status in 1991. The family contains five genera, including two extinct genera known from Baltic amber (Eocene) and the Yixian Formation of China (Early Cretaceous). Adults are often found clinging to vegetation, though detailed biological information remains sparse.
Toxorhina
Toxorhina is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae comprising over 150 extant species across three subgenera: Ceratocheilus, Eutoxorhina, and Toxorhina. The genus is distinguished by an elongate rostrum and reduced wing venation compared to other crane flies. Members have been recorded from tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with fossil evidence extending the stratigraphic range to the Eocene. The genus shows its highest diversity in tropical zones, particularly in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions.
Zopheridae
Ironclad beetles
Zopheridae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, commonly known as ironclad beetles. The family has expanded considerably in recent years to include the former families Monommatidae and Colydiidae as subfamilies or tribes. It comprises approximately 190 genera and 1700 species distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by exceptionally hardened exoskeletons that make specimens difficult to pin for collection. The family includes diverse feeding habits, with many species associated with rotting wood or fungus, while some Colydiinae are predatory or feed on living plant tissue.