Old-world-tropics

Guides

• Hyblaeidae

  teak moths

  Hyblaeidae is a family of moths containing approximately 18 species across two genera: Hyblaea (Old World tropics) and Torone (Neotropics). The family's phylogenetic position within Lepidoptera remains uncertain, with studies placing Hyblaeoidea as sister to Pyraloidea or alternatively grouping with Thyridoidea or butterflies. Males possess a specialized 'hair-pencil' on the hindleg. The family is economically significant due to Hyblaea puera, a major defoliator of teak and mangrove species.

  Lepidopteramothsteak-defoliatorforest-pestmangrove-pestinvasive-speciesHyblaea-pueraOld-World-tropicsNeotropicsbiological-control

• Nycteribiidae

  bat flies, nycteribiid bat flies

  Nycteribiidae is a family of Diptera in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, commonly known as bat flies. These are obligate ectoparasites of bats, feeding exclusively on blood. They exhibit extreme morphological adaptations for parasitism: complete wing loss, highly reduced or absent compound eyes, and a dorsoventrally flattened, spider-like body with backward-folded legs. The family contains approximately 274 described species distributed primarily in the Old World tropics, with some species in the Neotropics and Europe. Most species show high host specificity, often with one-to-one associations with particular bat species.

  DipteraHippoboscoideaectoparasitebat-parasitewingless-flyblood-feedercoevolutionOld-World-tropicshost-specificitypupiparity

• Protrocha minuta

  Protrocha minuta is a species of planthopper in the family Caliscelidae, first described by Bunn in 1930. It belongs to the tribe Peltonotellini within the subfamily Caliscelinae. The genus Protrocha is part of a group of small, often overlooked planthoppers that inhabit grassy and herbaceous vegetation. Very little is known about the specific biology or ecology of this species, reflecting the broader pattern of understudied diversity within the Caliscelidae family.

  HemipteraAuchenorrhynchaFulgoromorphaCaliscelidaeplanthopperPeltonotelliniProtrochaminutaBunn-1930data-deficientunderstudiedOld-World-tropicsgrassland-insectcryptic-coloration

• Strongylium

  darkling beetles

  Strongylium is a large genus of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae: Stenochiinae) containing more than 1,400 described species, making it one of the most species-rich genera in both the family and subfamily. The genus exhibits a broad tropical and subtropical distribution across the Old and New Worlds, with particularly high diversity in the Neotropics (over 300 species). Species-level identification is challenging due to the genus's size and morphological diversity, often requiring specialist knowledge or detailed examination.

  TenebrionidaeStenochiinaedarkling-beetlestropical-beetlesspecies-rich-genustaxonomically-difficultNeotropical-faunaOld-World-tropics