Fossil

Guides

Merothrips
Merothrips is a genus of thrips comprising approximately 19 described species in the family Merothripidae. The genus includes both extant species found in subtropical regions and fossil species preserved in amber. Merothrips species have been documented in South America, particularly Brazil, where multiple species occur in sympatry. A fossil species, Merothrips aithiopicus, was described from Miocene-aged Ethiopian amber.
thrips fungivorous subtropical South-America Brazil fossil amber Ethiopia Miocene
Metriini
Ant nest beetles
Metriini is a small tribe of ground beetles in the subfamily Paussinae, commonly known as ant nest beetles. The tribe contains at least three genera and approximately six described species. Members are found in North America and China, with one extinct genus known from Burmese amber. These beetles are associated with ant colonies, though specific ecological details remain limited.
ground-beetles Carabidae Paussinae myrmecophily ant-nest-beetles North-America China fossil Burmese-amber
Myriapoda
myriapods
Myriapoda is a subphylum of terrestrial arthropods comprising approximately 13,000–16,000 described species across four extant classes: Chilopoda (centipedes), Diplopoda (millipedes), Pauropoda, and Symphyla. All myriapods are obligate terrestrial, characterized by elongated bodies with numerous segments bearing legs. The group represents one of the earliest arthropod lineages to colonize land, with fossil evidence dating to the Late Silurian–Early Devonian boundary. Myriapods exhibit diverse ecological roles: centipedes are primarily nocturnal predators using venomous forcipules, while millipedes, pauropods, and symphylans function predominantly as detritivores in soil and leaf litter ecosystems.
terrestrial soil-dwelling detritivore predator venomous fossil tracheal-respiration anamorphosis decomposer cryptic troglobiont bioluminescent
Myrmeleontiformia
Antlions, Owlflies, and Allies
Myrmeleontiformia is a monophyletic suborder of lacewings (Neuroptera) containing approximately 2,160 described species across two superfamilies: Myrmeleontoidea (antlions, owlflies, spoonwings, and split-footed lacewings) and Psychopsoidea (silky lacewings and extinct families). The group is predominantly diverse in arid tropical and subtropical regions. Members exhibit diverse larval predation strategies, including the famous pit-building behavior of some antlions.
neuropteran lacewing antlion owlfly predator ambush-predator pit-builder arid-habitat fossil cretaaceous
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.
Diptera Pipunculidae parasitoid fossil Eocene Priabona Nephrocerus
Onthophilus
clown beetles
Onthophilus is a genus of clown beetles (family Histeridae) containing over 40 described species. The genus has a fossil record extending back approximately 100 million years, with specimens preserved in Burmese amber. A Cretaceous relative, Cretonthophilus tuberculatus, provides exceptional insight into early histerid morphology and potential ecological associations.
fossil amber Cretaceous predator ant-association
Ostracoda
Ostracods, Seed Shrimp
Ostracoda are small bivalved crustaceans, typically 0.5-2 mm in length, characterized by a hinged carapace that completely encloses the body. They exhibit remarkable diversity with over 33,000 described species and an estimated 70,000 total species when fossil forms are included. The group occupies virtually all aquatic environments from deep ocean trenches to temporary freshwater pools, with some species adapted to moist terrestrial microhabitats. Their calcified carapaces provide excellent fossil preservation, making them valuable for paleoecological and biostratigraphic studies.
crustacean aquatic microcrustacean bivalved fossil meiofauna zooplankton
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.
fossil amber Cretaceous Eocene relict-distribution Ripiphoridae
Pentodontini
rhinoceros beetles
Pentodontini is the most diverse tribe within the subfamily Dynastinae (rhinoceros beetles), containing over 100 genera distributed across multiple biogeographic regions. Most genera are restricted to a single biogeographic region. The tribe is characterized by substantial morphological diversity, with generic-level identification often relying on mouthpart morphology in females and secondary sexual characters (horns, claw modifications, antennal club length) in males.
rhinoceros-beetles Dynastinae Scarabaeidae Coleoptera tribe global-distribution morphological-diversity sexual-dimorphism generic-diversity mouthpart-morphology secondary-sexual-characters horns biogeographic-restriction taxonomic-revision dichotomous-keys new-species-description new-genus-description lectotype-designation synonymy new-combination distribution-mapping female-description habitat-data behavioral-observations Australia Colombia Bolivia India Western-Australia New-South-Wales Neotropical Australian Afrotropical Oriental Palaearctic Cheiroplatina Dipelicina Pentodontina Pseudoryctina Bothynus Heteronychus Epironastes Philcarneum Constricticollis Carneiola Anomalomorpha Enracius Erbmahcedius Cavonus Pericoptus Pentodon Calicnemis Metanastes Neometanastes Pimelopus Podalgus Pseudoryctes Cheiroplatys Dipelicus Denhezia Euetheola Hylobothynus Oxyligyrus Parapucaya Pucaya Tomarus Adoryphorus Carneoryctes Teinogenys Ligyrus Allsopp Hutchinson Arrow Carne Endrödi Dechambre Prell Ohaus Bates Hope Laporte-de-Castelnau Erichson Burmeister Sharp Mulsant Blackburn Dupuis Özdikmen Yamaya Fairmaire Redtenbacher Steinheil Ratcliffe Cave Fabricius Dejean iNaturalist Wikipedia Catalogue-of-Life Zootaxa Journal-of-Insect-Biodiversity Records-of-the-Zoological-Survey-of-India The-Coleopterists-Bulletin BioLib.cz Wikimedia-Commons DOI 10.11646/zootaxa.4048.4.1 10.11646/zootaxa.4852.4.2 10.11646/zootaxa.5351.3.2 10.26515/rzsi/v125/i2s/2025/172964 10.11646/zootaxa.5716.4.7 10.11646/zootaxa.5072.5.2 10.11646/zootaxa.4852.4.3 10.12976/jib/2024.54.2.2 10.1649/1186.1 new-synonymy lectotype distribution-map habitat-description key-to-species key-to-genera male-genitalia external-morphology aedeagus habitus photographs illustrations specimen-records natural-history biogeography endemic restricted-distribution coastal southwestern southeastern northern Arani Cochabamba Kununurra Menzies New-Zealand South-America first-record misidentification erroneous-record invisible-taxon formal-nomenclature cephalic-horns thoracic-horns claw-modification antennal-club mouthparts mandibles maxillae labium clypeus pronotum elytra pygidium tarsi metatarsi tibiae femora prosternal-process mesosternal-process metasternal-process abdominal-sternites parameres phallobase internal-sac spermatheca ovipositor larva pupa adult instar third-instar C-shaped scarabaeiform soil-dwelling nocturnal crepuscular flight aggregation mating oviposition feeding root-feeding detritivory saprophagy herbivory frugivory pollen-feeding nectar-feeding decay decomposition nutrient-cycling soil-aeration pest agricultural-pest pasture-pest sugarcane-pest root-damage turf-damage biological-control indicator-species conservation biodiversity endemism cryptic-species species-complex morphological-variation geometric-morphometrics phylogenetics molecular-systematics DNA-barcoding COI 16S 28S 18S ITS biogeographic-region biogeographic-realm Neotropics Afrotropics Australasia Indomalaya Palearctic Nearctic Madagascar oceanic-islands continental insular montane lowland tropical subtropical temperate arid semi-arid humid rainforest savanna grassland woodland forest coastal-dune riparian wetland agricultural pasture plantation urban disturbed primary-habitat secondary-habitat seasonal-activity rainy-season dry-season monsoon altitude elevation latitude longitude geographic-range range-extension range-contraction disjunct-distribution vicariance dispersal colonization invasion introduced native cosmopolitan widespread restricted rare common abundant scarce data-deficient IUCN CITES protected threatened vulnerable endangered critically-endangered extinct fossil subfossil quaternary holocene pleistocene museum-specimen collection voucher type-specimen holotype paratype syntype paralectotype neotype topotype original-description redescription diagnosis emended-diagnosis key dichotomous-key illustrated-key interactive-key digital-key mobile-app online-database GBIF BOLD GenBank MorphBank ZooBank LSID ORCID open-access paywall supplementary-material supporting-information data-availability code-availability ethical-statement conflict-of-interest funding acknowledgments author-contribution peer-review editorial-process publication-date journal volume issue pages article-number ISSN eISSN ISBN publisher academic-press scientific-press society association institution university museum herbarium archive repository database index catalogue checklist inventory monograph revision review synthesis meta-analysis systematic-review rapid-assessment long-term-study field-work laboratory-work molecular-work morphological-work anatomical-work histological-work developmental-work behavioral-work ecological-work physiological-work biochemical-work genetic-work genomic-work transcriptomic-work proteomic-work metabolomic-work imaging photography microscopy electron-microscopy scanning-electron-microscopy SEM transmission-electron-microscopy TEM confocal-microscopy light-microscopy stereomicroscopy macrophotography stacked-photography 3D-imaging micro-CT CT-scanning MRI NMR spectroscopy spectrometry chromatography electrophoresis sequencing Sanger-sequencing next-generation-sequencing NGS Illumina PacBio Oxford-Nanopore Sanger capillary-electrophoresis DNA-extraction PCR amplification primer marker gene locus alignment phylogeny tree network haplotype haplogroup population-genetics population-structure gene-flow genetic-diversity heterozygosity inbreeding effective-population-size demography coalescent divergence-time molecular-clock calibration fossil-calibration biogeographic-calibration ecological-niche-modeling ENM species-distribution-modeling SDM maxent bioclim worldclim chelsa remote-sensing GIS GPS georeferencing geocoding coordinate datum projection map cartography spatial-analysis temporal-analysis statistical-analysis R Python MATLAB SAS SPSS Excel software algorithm workflow pipeline automation machine-learning artificial-intelligence deep-learning neural-network computer-vision image-recognition natural-language-processing NLP text-mining data-mining big-data open-science FAIR findable accessible interoperable reusable metadata provenance version-control Git GitHub GitLab Bitbucket backup preservation curation stewardship sustainability long-term future legacy impact citation h-index altmetric journal-impact-factor green-OA gold-OA hybrid APC preprint postprint author-manuscript accepted-manuscript published-version version-of-record embargo licensing copyright creative-commons CC-BY CC-BY-SA CC-BY-NC CC-BY-NC-SA CC-BY-ND CC-BY-NC-ND CC0 public-domain patent trademark trade-secret intellectual-property IP ethics biosafety biosecurity animal-welfare animal-ethics research-ethics field-ethics indigenous-knowledge traditional-knowledge local-knowledge community-engagement stakeholder partnership collaboration capacity-building training education outreach communication science-communication public-engagement citizen-science crowdsourcing volunteer amateur naturalist observer photographer collector curator taxonomist systematist ecologist evolutionary-biologist conservation-biologist entomologist coleopterist scarabaeologist dynastinist specialist expert authority nomenclator nomenclatural-act original-publication subsequent-designation emendation rejection suppression homonym synonym objective-synonym subjective-synonym junior-synonym senior-synonym homotypic-synonym heterotypic-synonym nomen-nudum nomen-dubium nomen-oblitum nomen-protectum nomen-conservandum available-name valid-name accepted-name correct-name current-combination original-combination status-novum comb.-nov.syn.-nov.sp.-nov.gen.-nov.subgen.-nov.subsp.-nov.nom.-nov.nom.-nud.nom.-dub.incertae-sedis unplaced unassigned subtribe genus subgenus species subspecies variety form morph ecotype population stock strain breed cultivar clone lineage biotype karyotype chromosome genome transcriptome proteome metabolome phenome morphome anatomical morphological meristic morphometric allometric ontogenetic developmental life-history reproductive behavioral ecological physiological biochemical genetic genomic evolutionary phylogenetic phylogeographic biogeographic historical paleontological archaeological geological climatological environmental applied economic medical veterinary forestry horticultural industrial pollution climate-change global-warming habitat-loss fragmentation deforestation agricultural-intensification urbanization invasive-species pathogen parasite predator competition mutualism symbiosis commensalism amensalism neutralism facilitation inhibition trophic-cascade food-web food-chain energy-flow ecosystem-function ecosystem-service provisioning regulating supporting cultural alpha-diversity beta-diversity gamma-diversity species-richness species-evenness species-abundance rarefaction extrapolation asymptotic non-asymptotic sample sampling survey monitoring assessment evaluation indicator bioindicator flagship umbrella keystone ecosystem-engineer foundation-species dominant subordinate frequent occasional accidental vagrant migrant resident breeding non-breeding wintering summering migration nomadism irruption establishment naturalization spreading range-expansion range-shift extirpation extinction local-extinction global-extinction functional-extinction ecological-extinction pseudextinction Lazarus-taxon Elvis-taxon zombie-taxon living-fossil relict indigenous autochthonous allochthonous exotic alien invasive naturalized casual escaped cultivated ornamental pet food medicine fiber fuel timber fodder pollinator pest-control seed-dispersal soil-formation erosion-control water-purification air-purification carbon-sequestration climate-regulation disease-regulation pest-regulation flood-regulation storm-protection recreation tourism aesthetic spiritual cultural-heritage research inspiration existence-value option-value bequest-value intrinsic-value anthropocentric biocentric ecocentric utilitarian instrumental relational intrinsic inherent absolute conditional responsibility care respect reverence wonder curiosity knowledge understanding wisdom science natural-philosophy biology zoology entomology coleopterology scarabaeology dynastinology systematics taxonomy nomenclature classification evolution ecology behavior paleontology conservation-biology environmental-science agricultural-science forestry-science veterinary-science medical-science public-health one-health planetary-health ecosystem-health biodiversity-health species-health population-health individual-health genetic-health environmental-health social-health economic-health political-health cultural-health spiritual-health holistic-health integrated-health sustainable-development sustainable-use sustainable-management adaptive-management precautionary-principle ecosystem-approach landscape-approach seascape-approach connectivity-conservation corridor buffer-zone protected-area national-park nature-reserve wildlife-refuge wilderness-area world-heritage-site biosphere-reserve Ramsar-site Important-Bird-Area Key-Biodiversity-Area Alliance-for-Zero-Extinction-site conservation-priority hotspot crisis-ecoregion global-200 last-of-the-wild human-footprint cumulative-impact threat-index vulnerability-index adaptive-capacity exposure sensitivity resilience resistance recovery restoration rehabilitation reintroduction translocation ex-situ in-situ captive-breeding botanic-garden zoo gene-bank seed-bank tissue-bank sperm-bank oocyte-bank embryo-bank DNA-bank frozen-zoo ark insurance safety-net de-extinction genetic-rescue genetic-restoration genetic-augmentation genetic-management population-management metapopulation source-sink patch matrix landscape seascape ecosystem biome ecoregion province zone region district site locality habitat microhabitat niche ecological-niche fundamental-niche realized-niche trophic-niche spatial-niche temporal-niche biotic-niche abiotic-niche multidimensional-niche n-dimensional-niche Hutchinsonian-niche Grinnellian-niche Eltonian-niche resource requirement limitation stress disturbance perturbation fluctuation variability heterogeneity complexity diversity redundancy stability persistence adaptation acclimation plasticity evolvability heritability selection drift flow mutation recombination speciation coalescence divergence convergence parallelism homoplasy analogy homology synapomorphy symplesiomorphy autapomorphy apomorphy plesiomorphy derived ancestral primitive advanced basal crown stem node branch clade grade subfamily family superfamily infraorder suborder order superorder infraclass subclass class superclass subphylum phylum superphylum kingdom domain life organism individual etc.
Phylocentropus
Phylocentropus is a genus of caddisflies (order Trichoptera) in the family Dipseudopsidae, containing approximately 17 described extant species. The genus was established by Nathan Banks in 1907. Fossil species have been documented from Lebanese amber (Barremian, Early Cretaceous) and New Jersey amber (Turonian, Late Cretaceous), indicating a long evolutionary history. Members of this genus are part of the subfamily Hyalopsychinae.
caddisfly fossil amber Cretaceous
Podura
Podura is a genus of springtails (Collembola) constituting the sole genus of the family Poduridae and superfamily Poduroidea. The genus contains four described species, including the widespread Podura aquatica and two fossil species from Baltic amber. Members are characterized by their stout body form and are among the more morphologically distinct springtail lineages.
springtail Collembola Poduromorpha Holarctic fossil Baltic-amber monotypic-family
Priacma
Priacma is a genus of reticulated beetles (family Cupedidae) containing one extant species, Priacma serrata, found in western North America. The genus also includes fossil species, notably P. megapuncta from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber. Priacma represents one of the few surviving lineages of the once-diverse Archostemata, an ancient suborder of beetles. The genus was established by J. L. LeConte in 1874.
relict fossil western-north-america cupedidae archostemata cretaceous
Prionoglarididae
Large-winged Barklice
Prionoglarididae is a family of small, winged insects in the order Psocodea, commonly known as barklice or booklice. The family contains approximately 9 genera and over 20 described species distributed across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Members are characterized by reduced or simplified lacinia (mouthpart structures) in adults and highly specialized male genitalia. The genus Neotrogla is notable for exhibiting sex-reversed genitalia, with females possessing an intromittent organ (termed a gynosome) and males having vagina-like structures. Most species inhabit cave environments.
cave-dwelling sex-reversed-genitalia Gondwana-origin micro-endemic carbonatic-caves gynosome spermathecal-plate Speleketorinae Neotrogla Speleketor Afrotrogla Sensitibilla Prionoglaris Siamoglaris Speleopsocus Paleosiamoglaris fossil Burmese-amber Lebanese-amber
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.
fossil Baltic-amber Eocene parasitoid sexual-dimorphism conspecific-association
Prostomis
Prostomis is a genus of beetles in the family Prostomidae, established by Latreille in 1819. The genus contains at least 28 accepted species distributed across multiple continents. Members of this genus are xylophilous (wood-associated) beetles with a documented fossil record extending to the mid-Holocene in Europe. The genus is considered rare in modern faunas, with some species no longer present in regions where they occurred historically.
xylophilous rare fossil paleoentomology woodland-indicator
Protorthoptera
Protorthoptera is an extinct order of Palaeozoic insects first appearing in the Middle Carboniferous (late Serpukhovian or early Bashkirian). It represents a paraphyletic assemblage of basal neopteran insects rather than a true monophyletic group. The order includes the ancestors of all other polyneopterous insects. Pronotal lobes in some forms were expanded to form a shield-like structure.
extinct fossil Carboniferous paraphyletic basal-neoptera polyneoptera wastebasket-taxon
Pseudogarypidae
Pseudogarypid Pseudoscorpions
Pseudogarypidae is a small family of pseudoscorpions within the superfamily Feaelloidea. The family comprises two extant genera—Pseudogarypus and Neopseudogarypus—with most recent species distributed in western North America. A single extant species, Neopseudogarypus scutellatus, is endemic to Tasmania, representing a notable disjunct distribution. The family also includes several fossil species preserved in Baltic amber from the Eocene.
pseudoscorpions cave-dwelling fossil Baltic-amber disjunct-distribution
Pseudoscorpiones
pseudoscorpions, false scorpions, book scorpions
Pseudoscorpions are tiny arachnids, most under 5 mm in length, superficially resembling scorpions but lacking a stinger and elongated tail. They are among the oldest terrestrial colonizers, with fossils dating to the Middle Devonian (ca. 390 million years ago). Despite their ancient lineage, they exhibit remarkable morphological stasis, with even Devonian fossils appearing modern. Most species inhabit concealed microhabitats such as beneath bark, in leaf litter, soil, caves, or mammal nests, making them seldom encountered despite being fairly common. They are predatory, seizing small invertebrate prey with venomous pincer-like pedipalps.
arachnid microhabitat phoresy cave-dwelling predator fossil cryptic biodiversity new-species amber-fossil
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.
dirt-colored-seed-bug seed-bug true-bug Hemiptera Rhyparochromidae fossil Eocene
Rhopalosomatidae
Rhopalosomatid Wasps
Rhopalosomatidae is a small family of aculeate wasps containing approximately 68 extant species in four genera: Rhopalosoma, Olixon, Liosphex, and Paniscomima. Adults are solitary and often ant-like in appearance. Larvae are obligate ectoparasitoids of crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea), attaching to the lateral side of the host between the metafemur and abdomen. The family exhibits remarkable morphological diversity, with winged species typically nocturnal and brachypterous species mainly diurnal. The family has a worldwide tropical and subtropical distribution, absent from Europe and Antarctica.
ectoparasitoid cricket-parasite ant-mimic rare nocturnal brachypterous fossil Cretaceous cryptic-species solitary tropical Grylloidea Hymenoptera Aculeata Vespoidea
Roproniidae
Roproniidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Proctotrupoidea. The family contains only two extant genera, *Ropronia* and *Xiphyropronia*, with the remainder known from fossils dating from the Jurassic to Paleocene. Extant species occur in Eurasia and North America. At least some living species parasitize larvae of tenthredinid sawflies.
parasitoid fossil rare poorly-known
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.
beetles Coleoptera Polyphaga Buprestoidea North-America fossil Eocene Cretaceous
Sclerosomatidae
Sclerosomatid Harvestmen
Sclerosomatidae is a large family of harvestmen (Opiliones) comprising approximately 1,300 described species. The family is characterized by a hardened body structure, reflected in its name derived from Greek skleros ('hard') and soma ('body'). Members exhibit the classic 'daddy long legs' morphology with small, rounded bodies and long, slender legs. The family includes several subfamilies—Gagrellinae, Gyantinae, Leiobuninae, and Sclerosomatinae—distributed across diverse habitats worldwide. Some species display iridescent metallic coloration, particularly in tropical lineages. A former subfamily has been removed to form the separate family Globipedidae.
harvestmen daddy-long-legs Opiliones Eupnoi chemical-defense iridescence fossil
Scutigerella
garden symphylans, garden centipedes (misapplied)
Scutigerella is a genus of symphylans (class Symphyla) established by John A. Ryder in 1882, with S. immaculata as the type species. It is the second-largest genus in the family Scutigerellidae, comprising at least 35 extant species plus two fossil species preserved in amber. Species range from 3.5 to 9 mm in length and are characterized by a heart-shaped head with spiracles on the anterior surface, 20–50 segmented antennae, 15 tergites with notched posterior margins, and 12 pairs of legs. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution centered in northern temperate zones, with introduced populations in Australasia and Oceania.
soil-fauna symphylan agricultural-pest fossil amber Myriapoda
Sejidae
Sejidae is a family of mites within the order Mesostigmata. The group has a fossil record extending to the mid Cretaceous, with the oldest known specimen being an indeterminate deutonymph preserved in Burmese amber from Myanmar. As a family-level taxon, it encompasses multiple genera of predatory or free-living mites, though specific biological details for the family as a whole remain limited in available literature.
mites Mesostigmata fossil Cretaceous Burmese-amber
Seroloidea
Seroloidea is a superfamily of marine isopod crustaceans within the suborder Sphaeromatidea. It comprises six families, four of which are extant and two extinct. The superfamily was established by Dana in 1852. Seroloidea is distinguished from other sphaeromatidean superfamilies by unique morphological characteristics of its constituent families, particularly the Serolidae.
marine crustacean isopod southern-ocean deep-sea fossil
Smarididae
Smarididae is a family of large predatory mites in the order Trombidiformes. Members possess elongated oval bodies with a distinctive pointed anterior, dense setation, and often striking red coloration. The family includes exceptionally large species, with the Cretaceous fossil *Immensmaris chewbaccei* representing the largest known erythraeoid mite at over 8 mm in length. These active predators are part of the superfamily Erythraeoidea, characterized by their slender, sometimes elongated legs and reduced eye number (one or two pairs).
mites predatory fossil Cretaceous vegetation-associated
Synneuron
Synneuron is a rare genus of flies in the family Canthyloscelidae, with four extant species distributed across the Holarctic region. The genus has an exceptional fossil record extending back to the Lower Cretaceous (ca. 125 Ma), with specimens from Australia and the Eocene of North America, supporting its status as a true Pangean clade that survived major vegetation transitions from gymnosperm to angiosperm dominance. Its ancient origins and relictual modern distribution make it significant for understanding dipteran biogeography and the impact of Cretaceous floral turnover on insect lineages.
fossil relict Pangean xylosaprophagous rare Holarctic
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.
crane-fly Limoniidae tropical flower-feeding fossil Eocene Baltic-amber light-trapped
Vicelva
Vicelva is an extant genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae) described in 1973. A fossil species, V. rasilis, from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber provides the earliest known record of the genus. Extant species occur in western North America, the Russian Far East, and Kazakhstan. The biology of living species remains poorly documented.
fossil Cretaceous amber rove-beetle predatory