Genomic-model
Guides
Calosoma tepidum
lukewarm beautiful black searcher
Calosoma tepidum is a large ground beetle in the family Carabidae, subfamily Carabinae, first described by LeConte in 1851. It belongs to the 'caterpillar hunter' group within the genus Calosoma, characterized by large size and predatory habits. The species is flightless despite possessing fully developed wings, a condition attributed to thoracic muscle reduction. It has been the subject of recent genomic research as part of a model system for studying wing evolution in insects.
Calosoma wilkesii
Wilkes's beautiful black searcher
Calosoma wilkesii is a flightless ground beetle in the family Carabidae, commonly known as Wilkes's beautiful black searcher. It is one of approximately 120 species in the genus Calosoma, a group known as "caterpillar hunters" for their predatory habits on lepidopteran larvae. The species has been the subject of genomic research due to its brachypterous (short-winged) condition, which represents an evolutionary transition to flightlessness. It occurs in western North America from British Columbia to California.
Galerucella
leaf beetles
Galerucella is a genus of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) described by Crotch in 1873. The genus is widely distributed globally but absent from the Neotropics. Several species have been extensively studied for biological control applications, particularly against invasive aquatic plants such as purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and waterlilies. The genus has become a model system for ecological and evolutionary research, with genome assemblies available for three species (G. calmariensis, G. pusilla, and G. tenella).
Nomia melanderi
alkali bee, Alkali Nomia
Nomia melanderi, commonly known as the alkali bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee native to the western United States. It is the world's only intensively managed ground-nesting bee, commercially cultivated for alfalfa pollination. The species nests in dense aggregations in moist, alkaline soils and exhibits traits that preceded insect sociality, including defense of offspring against pathogens and predators.
Tetanops
picture-winged flies
Tetanops is a genus of picture-winged flies (family Ulidiidae, subfamily Otitinae) containing approximately 20 described species distributed across the Holarctic region. The genus includes both economically significant agricultural pests and non-pest species with specialized ecological associations. The most intensively studied species, Tetanops myopaeformis (sugar beet root maggot), is a major pest of sugar beet in North America, while other species such as T. myopina are psammophilous specialists inhabiting coastal sand dunes. Larval biology varies substantially among species: some develop in living plant roots, others in decaying organic matter, and at least one species is associated with rotting cactus pads.
Tribolium freemani
Freeman's flour beetle
Tribolium freemani is a flour beetle closely related to the model organism and major stored-product pest Tribolium castaneum. First described from Kashmir, India around 1893, the species was rediscovered in 1973 in Japan in a shipment of corn from Brazil. It can hybridize with T. castaneum, producing sterile offspring. The species has been primarily studied for comparative genomics, particularly regarding 5S rRNA gene organization and satellite DNA composition, which differs markedly from its sibling species despite high gene sequence homology.
Yponomeuta cagnagella
Spindle Ermine, Spindle Ermine Moth
Yponomeuta cagnagella, the spindle ermine moth, is a small ermine moth in the family Yponomeutidae with a wingspan of 19–26 mm. Adults are white with distinctive black dot patterns on the forewings and dark grey hindwings. The species is notable for its larval habit of producing extensive protective webbing on host plants and has been studied for urban adaptation to light pollution.