Indo-pacific
Guides
Cydosiinae
Cydosiinae is a small subfamily of moths within Noctuidae, containing approximately 20 species distributed primarily across the Indo-Pacific region. The group is characterized by distinctive wing patterns and structural features that set it apart from other noctuid subfamilies. Species in this subfamily are relatively poorly studied compared to more diverse noctuid groups, with limited published information on their biology and ecology.
Diogenidae
Left-handed Hermit Crabs
Diogenidae is the second-largest family of marine hermit crabs, comprising 429 extant and 47 extinct species. Members are distinguished by an enlarged left chela (claw), earning them the common name 'left-handed hermit crabs'—the reverse of the typical pattern in other hermit crab families. The family includes both conventional shell-dwelling species and the unusual 'blanket-hermit crabs' of the genus Paguropsis, which live in symbiosis with sea anemones rather than occupying gastropod shells.
Dudusinae
Dudusinae is a subfamily of moths within the family Notodontidae (prominent moths), established by Matsumura in 1929. Members of this subfamily are primarily distributed in the Indo-Pacific region, with significant diversity in Southeast Asia and surrounding areas. The subfamily is characterized by specific morphological features of the adult moths, particularly in wing venation and genitalia structure.
Erechthias
fungus moths
Erechthias is a genus of small moths in the family Tineidae, comprising the type genus of subfamily Erechthiinae. The genus encompasses more than 150 species with disputed circumscription, including several previously recognized genera now treated as synonyms. Species occur across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with some showing pan-global distributions while others are highly endemic.
Gnathidiini
Gnathidiini is a tribe of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) in the subfamily Diaperinae, established by Gebien in 1921. The tribe includes the genus Micropeneta, which was recently recorded from China for the first time with the description of Micropeneta qilin. Members of this tribe have been documented from Borneo, Taiwan, Australia, and the South Pacific region. As a tribe within Diaperinae, Gnathidiini represents a distinct lineage of tenebrionid beetles with a disjunct distribution across the Indo-Pacific.
Limulidae
Horseshoe Crabs
Limulidae is a family of marine arthropods comprising four extant species: Limulus polyphemus in North America and three Indo-Pacific species (Tachypleus tridentatus, T. gigas, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda). These organisms possess a distinctive horseshoe-shaped prosoma, long telson, and compound eyes. Populations are declining globally, with T. tridentatus classified as Endangered by the IUCN. The family is notable for its ancient evolutionary lineage and biomedical importance due to hemolymph containing endotoxin-sensitive coagulation factors.
Nacoleia charesalis
Nacoleia charesalis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by Francis Walker in 1859. The species exhibits a broad Indo-Pacific distribution spanning from South Asia through Southeast Asia to Australia and the western Indian Ocean. Larvae have been documented feeding on several species of Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae), indicating a specialized association with this tree genus.
Prococcus acutissimus
banana-shaped scale
Prococcus acutissimus is a soft scale insect (family Coccidae) originally described from Sri Lanka in 1896. It is commonly known as the banana-shaped scale, reflecting its distinctive body form. The species has become widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions, with records spanning the Indo-Pacific, Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. It is associated with diverse host plants and has been observed on agricultural crops, though specific economic impacts remain poorly documented.
Sapintus
Sapintus is a genus of antlike flower beetles in the family Anthicidae, established by Casey in 1895. The genus contains at least 13 described species distributed across North America and the Indo-Pacific region. Species exhibit taxonomic complexity, with recent revisions resolving synonymies and restoring previously synonymized species such as S. francoisi.