Hyperdiverse-genus
Guides
Agrilinae
Agrilinae is a subfamily of metallic wood-boring beetles (family Buprestidae) characterized by larvae that develop in plant stems, twigs, and branches. The subfamily contains the hyperdiverse genus Agrilus, which with nearly 4,000 described species is among the largest genera in the animal kingdom. Most Agrilinae are secondary pests of broadleaf forests, developing in recently dead wood, though some species attack living trees of economic importance. Adults are typically small, often under 8 mm, and lack the vivid metallic colors common in other Buprestidae subfamilies. The subfamily has a cosmopolitan distribution with greatest diversity in tropical and warm temperate regions.
Agrilus
jewel beetles, metallic woodboring beetles
Agrilus is a genus of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) containing approximately 3,000-4,000 described species, making it one of the largest genera in the animal kingdom. Species are found on all continents except Antarctica and exhibit diverse ecological strategies, though most are wood-boring larvae developing in recently dead branches of woody flowering plants. A few notable species are economically significant pests that attack living trees, including the emerald ash borer (A. planipennis), bronze birch borer (A. anxius), and twolined chestnut borer (A. bilineatus).
Agrilus
jewel beetles, metallic woodboring beetles
Agrilus is a hyperdiverse genus of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) containing nearly 4,000 described species and potentially representing the largest genus in the animal kingdom. Species are primarily twig and branch borers, with larvae developing in recently dead wood, though notable exceptions attack living trees. The genus exhibits remarkable host specificity ranging from highly monophagous to oligophagous associations, exclusively with angiosperms—no species are known to utilize conifers. Adults are typically found on foliage of larval hosts rather than flowers, with sexual dimorphism occurring in some species.
Apanteles
Apanteles is a large genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Microgastrinae, containing over 600 described species worldwide. A 2014 study from Costa Rica's Area de Conservación Guanacaste alone documented 186 new species, suggesting the genus is far more diverse than previously recognized. These small wasps (1–5 mm) are koinobiont endoparasitoids of caterpillars, with most species showing high host specificity.
Megaselia
scuttle flies
Megaselia is a hyperdiverse genus of scuttle flies (Phoridae) containing approximately half of all described species in the family. The genus has been characterized as an 'open-ended' or 'dark' taxon due to its extraordinary species richness and the difficulty of species-level identification using morphology alone. Many species remain undescribed, with estimates suggesting thousands of species worldwide. Recent taxonomic work has increasingly relied on DNA barcoding to delimit species, particularly in species complexes such as the M. sulphurizona group. The genus exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, with species acting as parasitoids, fungivores, saprophages, and predators.