Jurassic
Guides
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-DayCerophytidae
Rare Click Beetles
Cerophytidae is a small family of elateroid beetles commonly known as rare click beetles. The family contains approximately 23 extant species distributed across five genera, with the majority of diversity concentrated in the Neotropics. Adults possess a clicking mechanism convergent with Elateridae, though they are less specialized for jumping and better adapted for rapid walking and flight. The family has a significant fossil record extending to the Early Jurassic, with 17 fossil species in seven genera documented.
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.
Evanioidea
Aulacid, Carrot, and Ensign Wasps
Evanioidea is a small superfamily of parasitoid wasps comprising three extant families: Evaniidae (ensign wasps), Aulacidae (aulacid wasps), and Gasteruptiidae (gasteruptiid or carrot wasps). Aulacidae and Gasteruptiidae are sister groups, with Evaniidae representing a more distant lineage. The superfamily is defined by a distinctive morphological trait: the metasoma attaches high on the propodeum, well above the hind coxae. Approximately 1,100 extant species are described, though many remain undescribed. The group has a rich fossil record extending to the Middle Jurassic, with peak diversity during the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition before decline following the rise of Ichneumonoidea.
Mythicomyiidae
micro bee flies, mythicomyiids, microbombyliids
Mythicomyiidae are minute flies (0.5–5.0 mm) historically treated as a subfamily of Empididae or Bombyliidae, but elevated to family rank based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence. The family comprises 35 genera and over 450 described species, with hundreds more awaiting description. They exhibit highest diversity in Africa and are especially abundant in desert and semi-desert regions globally. The lineage dates to the Middle Jurassic, making it older than any known Bombyliidae.
Petaluridae
petaltails, graybacks
Petaluridae is a relict family of dragonflies (Anisoptera) representing one of the most ancient lineages of extant dragonflies, with fossil records dating to the Jurassic period over 150 million years ago. The family comprises 11 extant species in five genera, divided into two major clades: a Laurasian clade (Tachopteryx, Tanypteryx) distributed in eastern and western North America and Japan, and a Gondwanan clade (Petalura, Phenes, Uropetala) found in Australia, New Zealand, and Chile. Petaltails are notable for their specialized larval habitats and extended development times, with most species persisting as independent lineages for 70–75 million years.