Fossil
Guides
Acamptus
Acamptus is a genus of true weevils (Curculionidae) established by LeConte in 1876. The genus contains approximately nine described species, with members distributed in North and Central America. Species have been described from the late 19th century through 2015, including one species described from Dominican amber (A. exilipes). The genus is poorly represented in biological collections, with limited observational records.
Alaocybites
A genus of small, eyeless or microphthalmic weevils in the family Raymondionymidae. Originally described from California with two eyeless species, the genus was later discovered in the Russian Far East (Primorsky Kray) and represented by a fossil in Alaska. The genus is characterized by reduced or absent eyes and the absence of tarsomere IV on all legs, traits associated with edaphic (soil-dwelling) habits.
Analetris
Analetris is a genus of sand-dwelling mayflies in the family Acanthametropodidae, established by Edmunds in 1972. The genus contains at least two species: the extant Analetris eximia and the extinct †Analetris secundus. Members of this genus are specialized inhabitants of riverine environments with unstable silty substrates. The best-studied species, A. eximia, is considered endangered due to habitat destruction from reservoir construction.
Anapleus
clown beetles
Anapleus is a genus of clown beetles in the family Histeridae, comprising approximately 16 described extant species. The genus was first described by Horn in 1873 and has been documented from the mid-Cretaceous period (ca. 99 Ma) through fossil specimens in Kachin amber, indicating an ancient origin. Extant species are distributed across Europe, Asia, North America, and Central America. The genus is characterized by an ovate body form, which has been hypothesized to represent a basal lineage within Histeridae.
Anaxyelidae
incense cedar wood wasps
Anaxyelidae is a relict family of siricoid wood wasps (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) represented today by a single extant species, Syntexis libocedrii, in western North America. The family was highly diverse during the Mesozoic, with over two dozen extinct genera and more than 50 fossil species documented from Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits across Asia, Europe, and North America. The family comprises two subfamilies: Anaxyelinae, which dominated the Jurassic, and Syntexinae, which prevailed in the Cretaceous and survives today.
Andrognathus
Andrognathus is a genus of small, thin-bodied millipedes in the order Platydesmida, family Andrognathidae. The genus contains three extant species—A. corticarius, A. grubbsi, and A. hoffmani—distributed in deciduous forests of eastern North America, New Mexico, and Mexico respectively. A fossil species, A. burmiticus, is known from 99-million-year-old Burmese amber, indicating a formerly broader distribution. These millipedes are euanamorphic, adding segments throughout their lifespan, and exhibit paternal care behaviors.
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.
Apionion
Apionion is a genus of weevils in the family Brentidae, established by Kissinger in 1998. The genus is known from Central America, with two described species from Dominican amber: Apionion formoculus and Apionion formosus, both described by Poinar & Legalov in 2015. These are fossil species preserved in amber, indicating the genus has existed since at least the Miocene.
Apsilocephala
Apsilocephala is a genus of flies in the family Apsilocephalidae, established by Kröber in 1914. The genus contains one extant species, Apsilocephala longistyla, and two fossil species: Apsilocephala pusilla and Apsilocephala vagabunda. The family Apsilocephalidae is a small, poorly known group within the order Diptera.
Apystomyiidae
A small family of flies in the superfamily Asiloidea, containing one extant genus (Apystomyia) and two extinct genera (Apystomimus, Hilarimorphites). The sole living species, Apystomyia elinguis, is endemic to California. Extinct species are known from Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous deposits in Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and New Jersey. Molecular studies place the family as sister to Cyclorrhapha within Eremoneura.
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.
Asiloidea
asiloid flies
Asiloidea is a large superfamily of true flies (Diptera: Brachycera) with cosmopolitan distribution. It comprises approximately 11 families including the well-known Asilidae (robber/assassin flies), Bombyliidae (bee flies), Therevidae (stiletto flies), Mydidae (mydas flies), and Scenopinidae (window flies). Adult morphology is characterized by antennae with no more than 4 flagellomeres, leg empodium usually setiform or absent, and wing venation featuring an elongate cell cup with vein CuA2 ending freely or meeting A1 near the wing margin. Larval synapomorphies include posterior spiracles arising dorsally from the penultimate abdominal segment and, in most families except Bombyliidae and Hilarimorphidae, a modified cranium forming a hinged metacephalic rod.
DipteraBrachyceraAsiloidearobber-fliesbee-fliesstiletto-fliesmydas-flieswindow-fliescosmopolitanarid-habitatspredatory-larvaeflower-visitorsparasitoidsbiological-controlAsilidaeBombyliidaeTherevidaeMydidaeScenopinidaeApioceridaeApsilocephalidaeApystomyiidaeEvocoidaeHilarimorphidaeMythicomyiidaeProtapioceridaephylogenysystematicsvenomouspredatorymystaxmetacephalic-roddichopticholopticJurassicCretaceoustherevoid-cladeNamib-DesertCanary-IslandsSaudi-ArabiaDominicaChileGermanyfossilcybertaxonomyopen-accessZooKeysBohart-MuseumWorld-Robber-Fly-DayBibiodes
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.
Blera
Wood Flies
Blera is a genus of hoverflies (Syrphidae) established by Billberg in 1820. The genus is primarily North American in distribution, with approximately three European species. One species, Blera fallax (pine hoverfly), has been the subject of conservation translocation efforts in Britain since 2018. A fossil species, Blera miocenica, has been described from Early Miocene deposits in the Czech Republic, representing the first known fossil record of the genus.
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.
Camerobiidae
Camerobiidae is a family of prostigmatan mites within the superfamily Raphignathoidea, characterized by distinctly long and slender stilt-like legs. The family includes several genera, notably Camerobia, Neophyllobius, and Tycherobius, with species recorded from Australia, Türkiye, and fossil deposits in Eocene Baltic amber. These mites are associated with aboveground vegetation and various litter habitats. The fossil record was previously limited to a single species but has been expanded with recent descriptions of additional fossil taxa.
Connatichela
Connatichela is a genus of weevils in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae, described by Anderson in 1984. The genus is currently monotypic, containing only C. artemisiae, which is endemic to the Yukon Territory. Members are characterized by connate (joined at base) tarsal claws, absence of metepisternal suture, lack of scales on antennal funiculus, and presence of broad scales on antennal scape. The genus has a documented Pleistocene fossil record from Alaska and western Northwest Territories, indicating a formerly broader distribution.
Connatichela artemisiae
Connatichela artemisiae is a monotypic weevil species endemic to the Yukon Territory, Canada, and the sole member of its genus. The species was described in 1984 and represents a distinctive lineage within the subfamily Entiminae, characterized by unique tarsal claw morphology. Fossil evidence indicates a broader Pleistocene distribution across Beringia, with modern restriction to the Yukon likely reflecting post-glacial habitat loss. Adults have been documented in association with small Artemisia species.
Coptodera
Coptodera is a genus of small ground beetles in the family Carabidae, comprising approximately 105 described species. The genus exhibits a broad geographic distribution spanning North and South America, Africa, Oceania, and eastern Asia. A single fossil species, Coptodera elektra, is known from Eocene Baltic amber, representing the only European record for the genus.
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.
Coronula
whale barnacles
Coronula is a genus of whale barnacles in the family Coronulidae, comprising eight described species including both extant and fossil taxa. Extant species are obligate ectoparasites of cetaceans, attaching directly to whale skin using specialized morphological adaptations. The genus is notable for its deep host integration, with shell bases forming hollow coring tubes that penetrate whale tissue to achieve secure attachment. Coronula diadema is the best-studied extant species and serves as a model for understanding barnacle-cetacean symbiosis.
Cryptorhopalum
Cryptorhopalum is a genus of skin beetles (family Dermestidae) known only from the Americas, ranging from North to South America. The genus includes both extant and fossil species, with several species preserved in amber. The immature stages of at least one species, C. triste, have been described in detail.
Cryptorhynchina
hidden-snout weevils
Cryptorhynchina is a subtribe of weevils within the subfamily Cryptorhynchinae, commonly known as hidden-snout weevils. The group has gained scientific attention through fossil evidence showing that at least one extinct species within this lineage served as an orchid pollinator approximately 20–45 million years ago. No present-day members of this subtribe have been documented carrying orchid pollinaria, though this absence may reflect their secretive behavior rather than lack of ecological interaction.
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.
Dinopanorpidae
Dinopanorpidae is an extinct family of scorpionflies (order Mecoptera) comprising two genera and seven described species. The family was established in 1972 by paleoentomologist Frank Carpenter to accommodate the genus Dinopanorpa, originally described in 1924. These insects are distinguished by a uniquely elongated R1 wing vein that nearly reaches the wing apex—a feature unknown in any other mecopteran lineage. Fossil evidence indicates a restricted temporal and geographic distribution spanning the Paleocene to Eocene in Russia and western North America.
Diplostraca
water fleas, clam shrimps
Diplostraca is a superorder of small branchiopod crustaceans encompassing over 1,000 described species, commonly known as water fleas and clam shrimps. Members range from 0.2 to 6.0 mm in length (with Leptodora reaching 18 mm), and are characterized by a folded bivalved carapace covering an unsegmented-appearing body. The group exhibits cyclical parthenogenesis, alternating between asexual and sexual reproduction to produce dormant eggs. While predominantly freshwater, eight species have colonized marine environments—the only branchiopods to do so.
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.
Eucinetus
plate-thigh beetles
Eucinetus is a genus of plate-thigh beetles in the family Eucinetidae, first described by Germar in 1818. The genus contains at least four extant species, with numerous additional species described in 2019 from both modern and fossil contexts. Notably, Eucinetus has been identified from mid-Cretaceous amber (~100 million years old), representing a striking case of long-term evolutionary stasis. The genus exhibits morphological conservatism while maintaining a specialized subcortical lifestyle.
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.
Euphaniini
spiny-legged rove beetles
Euphaniini is a tribe of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) established by Reitter in 1909, commonly referred to as spiny-legged rove beetles. The tribe comprises at least eight extant and extinct genera, including Deleaster, Euphanias, Mitosynum, Oxypius, Platydeleaster, and Syntomium, plus the fossil genera Protodeleaster and Pseudanotylus. Members of this tribe are classified within the subfamily Oxytelinae.
Eurypterida
sea scorpions, eurypterids
Eurypterida is an extinct order of aquatic chelicerate arthropods commonly known as sea scorpions. They ranged from the Cambrian through the Permian periods, with their main diversification occurring during the Paleozoic. The group includes both marine and freshwater species, with body sizes ranging from a few centimeters to over two meters in some species. Eurypterids are characterized by a segmented body with a prosoma and opisthosoma, paired swimming paddles, and a terminal telson spine. They represent one of the largest arthropod groups in the fossil record and are significant for understanding early chelicerate evolution.
Eurypteridae
sea scorpions
Eurypteridae is a family of extinct aquatic arthropods known as sea scorpions, representing some of the largest arthropods to have ever lived. These chelicerates inhabited Paleozoic seas from the Silurian to the Permian periods, approximately 467 to 251 million years ago. Members of this family are characterized by their large size, streamlined bodies, and well-developed swimming paddles. Eurypteridae includes the genus Jaekelopterus, which contains the largest known eurypterid species.
Eutinobothris pilosellus
Eutinobothris pilosellus is a bat-associated cimicid bug formerly classified in the genus Cimex. Fossil remains from the Paisley Five Mile Point Caves in Oregon, dating to 5,100–11,000 years ago, represent the oldest known specimens of the genus Cimex/Eutinobothris. Unlike Cimex lectularius, this species has not been documented as a human parasite. The species remains extant and continues to parasitize bats in western North America.
Gracillariidae
Leaf Blotch Miner Moths, Leaf Miner Moths
Gracillariidae is a large family of small moths in the order Lepidoptera, comprising approximately 98 described genera and many undescribed tropical species. Adults are typically diminutive with wingspans of 5–20 mm. The family is best known as the principal group of leaf-mining moths, with larvae that feed internally within leaf tissue. Several species are economically significant agricultural and horticultural pests, including the invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella). The family has a fossil record extending to 97 million years ago, with Phyllocnistinae leaf mines preserved in Cretaceous rocks.
Haeteriinae
Haeteriinae is a subfamily of clown beetles (Histeridae) comprising over 110 genera and 330 described species. Members are obligate myrmecophiles and termitophiles, specialized as social symbionts that infiltrate ant and termite colonies. The subfamily exhibits dramatic behavioral and chemical adaptations for colony integration, including mouth-to-mouth feeding with host workers, grooming behaviors, and chemical mimicry of host scents. A 99-million-year-old fossil from Burmese amber demonstrates that this symbiotic relationship originated in the Cretaceous period, contemporaneous with the earliest-known ants.
Helophorus sibiricus
Helophorus sibiricus is a water scavenger beetle notable for its exceptional longevity as a species. Fossil specimens from the Early Miocene (16-23 million years ago) of western Siberia have been reliably assigned to this extant species, making it one of the longest-documented living insect species. It inhabits standing waters across a broad Holarctic range.
Hoplocyrtoma
Hoplocyrtoma is a genus of dance flies in the family Hybotidae, first described by Melander in 1928. The genus contains five described species distributed across the Palearctic region and Japan, with one fossil species known from Eocene Baltic amber. Species are characterized by distinctive leg modifications, particularly enlarged femora in some taxa. The genus belongs to the tribe Bicellariini within the subfamily Hybotinae.
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.
Hydrozetidae
Hydrozetidae is a family of aquatic oribatid mites (water mites) within the order Oribatida, established by Grandjean in 1954. The family contains at least one genus, Hydrozetes, with at least 20 described species. These mites are distinguished by adaptations to freshwater habitats, including a reduced bothridium lacking a sensillus, monodactylous legs, and the absence of pteromorphae. Fossil evidence from the Late Paleocene of Canada demonstrates the family's ancient aquatic association with submerged vegetation.
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.
Lucaninae
stag beetles
Lucaninae is the largest subfamily of stag beetles (Lucanidae), characterized by distinctive morphological features including partially to completely divided eyes, geniculate antennae, and separated coxae. The group exhibits considerable diversity across multiple continents, with fossil records extending to the Early Cretaceous. Several genera within this subfamily display specialized ecological associations, including myrmecophily and wood-decay habitat specialization.
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.
Malthodini
Malthodini is a tribe of soldier beetles within the subfamily Malthininae. The tribe contains both extant and fossil species, with the oldest confirmed record being the extinct genus *Archaeomalthodes* from 99-million-year-old Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. This fossil discovery represents the oldest documented occurrence of the subfamily Malthininae, indicating the tribe's origins extend to at least the Late Cretaceous.
Megaxyela
Megaxyela is a genus of primitive sawflies in the family Xyelidae, comprising 13 described extant species. The genus has a disjunct distribution spanning the eastern Nearctic and southeastern East Asia, with fossil species known from Colorado and Shandong, China. Members are external feeders on trees in the walnut family (Juglandaceae).
Melanthripidae
Melanthripidae is a family of thrips representing an early-diverging lineage within Thysanoptera. The family contains the genus Ankothrips, which has been identified as the most ancient extant thrips genus with remarkable morphological stability spanning approximately 94 million years. Fossil evidence from Cretaceous Spanish amber indicates members of this family were associated with gymnosperm pollen and likely served as pollinators of Ginkgoales during the Mesozoic era.
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.