Extinct-species
Guides
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.
Coptotomus
Coptotomus is a genus of predaceous diving beetles comprising approximately six extant species and one extinct species. It represents the sole genus of the subfamily Coptotominae within Dytiscidae. The genus has a disjunct distribution spanning North America and the Neotropics, with the extinct species known from Baltic amber in the Palearctic. Species were described between 1801 and 2020.
Glaucopsyche
blues, silvery blues, green-underside blues, black-eyed blues
Glaucopsyche is a genus of small butterflies commonly called 'blues' in the family Lycaenidae. The genus has a Holarctic distribution, with most species occurring in Palearctic Asia and several species in North America. It includes approximately 30 described species, among them the extinct Xerces blue (G. xerces), last seen in the early 1940s on the San Francisco Peninsula. Several species have notable conservation status, including the federally endangered Palos Verdes blue (G. lygdamus palosverdesensis).
Hesperagrion
painted damsels
Hesperagrion is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae, commonly known as painted damsels. The genus contains at least two described species, including the extant Hesperagrion heterodoxum and the extinct Hesperagrion praevolans. Males of H. heterodoxum are noted for their striking coloration. The genus was established by Calvert in 1902.
Lipochaeta
nehe
Lipochaeta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The genus comprises approximately 20 accepted species, commonly known as nehe. Several species are extinct or possibly extinct, including L. bryanii, L. degeneri, L. perdita, and L. populifolia. Taxonomic relationships within the genus remain uncertain and require further phylogenetic study.
Mantoida
Mantoida is a genus of praying mantises comprising eleven recognized species, placed in the monotypic family Mantoididae. Species are distributed across Mexico, Central America, and South America. The genus is distinguished from other mantodean groups by its unique phylogenetic position within the superfamily Mantoidoidea. One extinct species, †Mantoida matthiasglinki, has been described from the fossil record.
Meracantha
Meracantha is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, established by Kirby in 1837. The genus contains one extant species, M. contracta, and one extinct species, M. lacustris, known from fossil remains. Members of this genus are found in North America.
Neduba
shield-back katydid
Neduba is a genus of shield-back katydids (Tettigoniidae) endemic to North America. The genus comprises 21 described species, including one extinct species (N. extincta). A 2021 revision established species boundaries using molecular phylogenetics, morphology, quantitative analysis of calling songs, and karyotypes. The group represents a relict lineage whose diversification reflects cycles of allopatric isolation and secondary contact in western North America.
Uraniinae
uraniine moths
Uraniinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Uraniidae, containing seven genera distributed in tropical regions worldwide. The group exhibits striking ecological and morphological dichotomy: three genera (Alcides, Chrysiridia, Urania) are diurnal, brightly colored with iridescent markings, and chemically defended, while the remaining four genera (Cyphura, Lyssa, Urapteritra, Urapteroides) are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular with subdued coloration. Lyssa species are notable for their large size, with wingspans reaching 10–16 cm. The subfamily includes approximately 80 described species, with the Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus) being among the most celebrated lepidopterans for its coloration.