Minute-size
Guides
Ceraticelus minutus
dwarf spider
Ceraticelus minutus is a species of dwarf spider in the family Linyphiidae, first described by James Henry Emerton in 1882. It is one of the smallest North American spiders, typically measuring only 1–2 mm in body length. The species is distributed across the United States and Canada, with records from provinces including Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Like other linyphiids, it constructs small sheet webs close to the ground in vegetation.
Chalcidoidea
Chalcidoid Wasps, Chalcid Wasps, Jewel Wasps
Chalcidoidea is a superfamily of Hymenoptera containing over 22,500 described species, with an estimated true diversity exceeding 500,000 species. Members are commonly known as chalcidoid wasps or jewel wasps due to their often metallic coloration. They are predominantly parasitoid wasps that attack other insects to lay eggs upon or within hosts, with larvae feeding and developing at the host's expense. The group originated in the late Jurassic approximately 162 million years ago, with fossil evidence extending to 130 million years ago.
Colobostema varicorne
minute black scavenger fly, dung midge
Colobostema varicorne is a species of minute black scavenger fly in the family Scatopsidae, commonly referred to as a dung midge. It was described by Coquillett in 1902. Members of this family are small, dark-colored flies associated with decomposing organic matter. The species is rarely documented, with few observations recorded.
Cryphalini
pygmy borers
Cryphalini is a tribe of minute bark beetles (Scolytinae) comprising extremely small species, many under 2 mm in length. The tribe has undergone major taxonomic revision, with former members now distributed across three tribes based on molecular and morphological evidence. Members of this group are among the most abundant bark beetles globally and include significant agricultural pests.
Elasmosoma
Elasmosoma is a small genus of ant-parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, subfamily Euphorinae, tribe Neoneurini. Species are minute, typically under 2.0 mm in length, and are specialized endoparasites of adult Formicidae ants. Females attack host workers in flight, alighting briefly to oviposit into the abdomen. The genus comprises approximately 13 described species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, with records from Europe, Asia, and North America. The host-parasite association represents a well-balanced system that has persisted for at least 40 million years.
Hyperaspidius hardyi
Hyperaspidius hardyi is a small lady beetle in the family Coccinellidae, described by Gordon in 1985. The species is known from California and is notable for its sexually dimorphic coloration, with males and females differing in head and pronotum pigmentation. It is one of approximately 20 species in the genus Hyperaspidius, a group of minute lady beetles found primarily in the Americas.
Hyperaspis globula
globular lady beetle
Hyperaspis globula is a small lady beetle in the family Coccinellidae, commonly known as the globular lady beetle. Adults measure approximately 1.8–2 mm in length. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in pronotum coloration: males have a yellow anterior border, while females have a black anterior border. It is recorded from Texas and is part of a genus known for preying on scale insects.
Neolarra
Neolarra is a genus of minute cuckoo bees in the family Apidae, containing approximately 16 described species restricted to North America. These bees are kleptoparasites that target nests of Perdita bees, laying eggs that hatch into larvae that consume the host's provisions and offspring. Adults are exceptionally small, measuring less than a grain of rice. The genus was first described in 1890 by Ashmead, who initially misclassified it as a wasp genus.
Neoneurus
Neoneurus is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, tribe Neoneurini. These wasps are specialized ant parasitoids, with females attacking adult ant workers in flight to deposit their eggs. The genus includes species such as Neoneurus vesculus, which has been filmed ovipositing into Formica cunicularia workers. Neoneurus species are among the few parasitoids capable of overcoming ant defenses, representing a highly specialized ecological adaptation.
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nana
Pherbellia nana is a minute species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, measuring approximately 3 mm in length. It is distributed across the Palearctic region, with confirmed records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The species has been included in molecular barcode studies to help clarify phylogenetic relationships within the genus.
Staphylinoidea
Rove, Ant-like stone, and Carrion Beetles
Staphylinoidea is a large and diverse superfamily of beetles with worldwide distribution, encompassing approximately 58,000 described species across six families. Adults range from minute (Ptiliidae at 0.3 mm, the smallest non-parasitic insects) to moderately large (Staphylinidae up to 50 mm, Silphidae up to 45 mm). The superfamily is characterized by distinctive wing and abdominal morphology: hind wings lack accessory posterior ridges, medial loops, wedge cells, and apical hinges; the 8th abdominal segment is not fully invaginated within the 7th; and the head typically lacks a coronal suture. Larvae possess 3-segmented maxillary palps with distinct galea and lacinia, well-developed tergites and sternites, and annular or annular-biforous spiracles without epistomal lobes.
Talavera minuta
Minute Jumping Spider
Talavera minuta is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is one of the smallest members of its genus, with an adult body length of approximately 2-3 mm. The species has a transcontinental distribution spanning eastern Russia and North America. Like other salticids, it possesses excellent vision and active hunting behavior, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Tenuiphantes tenuis
A minute sheet-web spider native to Europe, Macaronesia, Northern Africa, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. It has been introduced to the USA, Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. Adults measure 2–3 mm in body length and are characterized by a dark brown carapace, brown legs without annulations, and a slender abdomen often bearing distinctive black spots. The species inhabits low vegetation, moss, and leaf litter.