Phylogenetic-revision
Guides
Amarochara
A genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Oxypodini) established by C.G. Thomson in 1858. The genus comprises approximately 25 valid species distributed across the Holarctic region, with the majority described or redescribed in a comprehensive 2002 revision. Holarctic species are organized into five species groups based on phylogenetic analysis, replacing the previous subgeneric classification system.
Aulacideini
herb gall wasps
Aulacideini is a tribe of herb gall wasps within the family Cynipidae. Members of this tribe induce galls on herbaceous plants, with documented associations spanning multiple plant families including Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Papaveraceae, and Plantaginaceae. The tribe has undergone significant taxonomic revision based on molecular phylogenetic analyses, resulting in refined generic boundaries. Notable genera include Aulacidea, Antistrophus, Neaylax, and the recently erected Fumariphilus.
Carpocorini
Carpocorini is a large tribe of stink bugs within Pentatomidae, containing over 100 genera and more than 500 valid species distributed worldwide. The tribe has been subject to extensive phylogenetic revision, including the reclassification of the historically problematic genus Euschistus Dallas, which was found to be non-monophyletic and subsequently split into multiple genera. Members of this tribe exhibit considerable morphological diversity, with some genera containing notably large species. The tribe includes several economically significant species that are pests of agricultural crops, particularly rice.
Cochylichroa
Cochylichroa is a genus of tortricid moths in the family Tortricidae. The genus was redefined in 2019 to include nine species based on phylogenetic analysis; most were previously classified under the genus Conchylis. It contains several notable species including the banded sunflower moth (C. hospes) and Arthur's sunflower moth (C. arthuri).
Empidoidea
Dance Flies, Long-legged Flies, and Allies
Empidoidea is a large monophyletic superfamily of true flies (Diptera) comprising approximately 10,000 described species across all continents except Antarctica. As the sister taxon to Muscomorpha (Cyclorrhapha), these two groups are sometimes united in the unranked taxon Eremoneura. The superfamily includes several well-known families: Empididae (dagger flies and balloon flies), Dolichopodidae (long-legged flies), and Hybotidae (dance flies). The group has existed since the Jurassic period and has been subject to extensive phylogenetic revision, particularly following molecular studies in 2018 that reshaped relationships among constituent families.
Erichsoniina
Erichsoniina is a subtribe of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) within the tribe Staphylinini. It was established by Brunke & Solodovnikov in 2016 based on phylogenetic analysis of the Staphylinini tribe, which had historically been taxonomically problematic. The subtribe contains genera previously classified in the informal 'Erichsonius group' and is characterized by specific morphological and molecular traits that distinguish it from other subtribes within Staphylinini. As a recently defined taxon, its membership and boundaries continue to be refined through ongoing systematic research.
Euura
Euura is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, subfamily Nematinae, with exceptional species diversity concentrated in northern Holarctic regions rather than tropical zones. The genus contains both free-feeding larvae that consume plant foliage externally and gall-inducing species whose larvae develop entirely within plant galls. Gall-forming females inject a stimulant during oviposition that initiates gall growth before eggs hatch, a distinctive mechanism among gall insects. Taxonomic revision in 2014 consolidated several former genera (Eupontania, Phyllocolpa, Pontania, Tubpontania) into Euura based on phylogenetic evidence. The genus exhibits substantial genetic complexity, with frequent mito-nuclear discordance and multiple functional COI variants within individuals complicating species identification.
Hemerobiiformia
Lacewings and Allies
Hemerobiiformia is a suborder of Neuroptera comprising lacewings, mantidflies, and related families. Traditional classifications grouped these insects separately from antlions and owlflies (Myrmeleontiformia), but 2014 phylogenetic studies using mitochondrial DNA revealed Hemerobiiformia to be paraphyletic, with some lineages more closely related to Myrmeleontiformia than to other Hemerobiiformia. The Osmyloidea, previously placed here, appears to represent a basal lineage outside both groups. The suborder includes families such as Hemerobiidae (brown lacewings), Chrysopidae (green lacewings), and Mantispidae (mantidflies).
Latindiinae
Latindiinae is a subfamily of cockroaches within the family Nocticolidae. Recent phylogenetic studies have reclassified this group, moving it from Corydiidae to Nocticolidae based on molecular evidence. The subfamily comprises a small number of genera and species that are poorly sampled in scientific collections due to difficulty in field collection.
Ledrinae
Flat-headed Leafhoppers
Ledrinae is a subfamily of leafhoppers within Cicadellidae, comprising approximately 300 species across 38 genera in five tribes (Ledrini, Rubrini, Xerophloeini, Afrorubrini, and Hespenedrini). The group represents an early-branching, morphologically distinctive lineage considered one of the oldest within Cicadellidae. A major 2009 revision redefined the subfamily's boundaries, removing Stenocotini and Thymbrini to Tartessinae and synonymizing Petalocephalini with Ledrini. Diversity is concentrated in Australia, Africa, and the Oriental region, with China alone hosting over 180 species.
Micracidini
Micracidini is a tribe of Afrotropical bark beetles within Scolytinae. The tribe comprises 11 valid genera following a 2021 taxonomic revision that erected five new genera (Neomicracis, Leiomicracis, Diplotrichus, Pseudolanurgus, Microlanurgus) and synonymized one genus. Phylogenetic analyses based on five molecular markers and morphological characters support this classification. The tribe originated in the late Cretaceous and exhibits a biogeographic pattern centered on Madagascar, which was colonized once from East Africa followed by multiple re-colonizations to the mainland.
Scirtoidea
Scirtoidea is a superfamily of small beetles within the suborder Polyphaga, traditionally comprising four families: Clambidae, Decliniidae, Eucinetidae, and Scirtidae. Molecular phylogenetics has challenged this circumscription, suggesting Clambidae and Eucinetidae belong to a separate superfamily Clamboidea. Scirtoidea and Clamboidea represent the two earliest diverging lineages of extant polyphagan beetles. The superfamily includes two extinct families known from Mesozoic deposits: †Mesocinetidae (Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, Asia) and †Elodophthalmidae (Lebanese amber, Barremian).
Smiliini
Smiliini is a tribe of treehoppers in the family Membracidae, subfamily Smiliinae, containing approximately 6 genera and at least 40 described species. Members are predominantly Nearctic in distribution and primarily feed on trees, with many species associated with oak (Quercus). The tribe was historically defined broadly to include Telamonini, but phylogenetic analysis has reinstated Telamonini as a separate tribe, narrowing the definition of Smiliini. Several genera within Smiliini, including Atymna, Cyrtolobus, Heliria, and Telamona, are not monophyletic.
Stiriinae
owlet moths
Stiriinae is a subfamily of owlet moths (Noctuidae) comprising approximately 160 described species across more than 20 genera. The group underwent significant taxonomic revision in 2019–2021 based on phylogenetic research, with the former tribe Stiriini elevated to subfamily status and internal classification reorganized into two tribes: Stiriini and Annaphilini. The subfamily exhibits exceptional host plant specialization, with many species feeding on a single Asteraceae species.