Moss-dwelling
Guides
Amara communis
Amara communis is a small ground beetle in the family Carabidae, measuring 6–8 mm in length. The species is associated with mossy habitats and has a broad geographic distribution spanning from Ireland across northern Asia to the Caucasus region. It belongs to the large genus Amara, which comprises numerous species of similar small carabid beetles often found in open, disturbed, or wetland-edge environments.
Anapistula
Anapistula is a genus of minute araneomorph spiders in the family Symphytognathidae, established by Gertsch in 1941. The genus comprises 28 described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, South America, and Europe. Members exhibit diverse habitat preferences: approximately 18 species occur in leaf litter, soil, and mosses, while seven are obligate cave-dwellers (troglobites) and one inhabits cave entrances. The genus includes some of the smallest spiders known, with A. ataecina from Portugal representing both the first European record of the family and one of the smallest described spider species.
Ceratocombus vagans
litter bug
Ceratocombus vagans is a species of minute true bug in the family Ceratocombidae, commonly known as litter bugs. The species has been described as one of the most generalized members of Hemiptera: Heteroptera, with predatory feeding habits that support the hypothesis that primitive heteropterans were predaceous. It occupies a wide geographic range across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Hebridae
Velvet Water Bugs
Hebridae, known as velvet water bugs, is a small family of semiaquatic Heteroptera within the infraorder Gerromorpha. The family comprises approximately 220 species in 9 genera and 2 subfamilies, distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by their small size, plump body form, and dense covering of setae that gives them a velvety appearance. They inhabit humid terrestrial and marginal freshwater habitats, including mossy areas, pond margins, and stream banks with abundant vegetation.
Punctaltica
Punctaltica is a newly described genus of flightless flea beetles discovered in urban parks of Shenzhen, China. The genus currently contains two species: P. shenzhenensis and P. montana. These beetles are highly specialized to moist moss microhabitats in heavily urbanized environments, representing an unexpected discovery of genus-level diversity in a megacity setting.