Pyrophilic
Guides
Melanophila occidentalis
Melanophila occidentalis is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Obenberger in 1928. The genus Melanophila is notable for its pyrophilic behavior, with some species attracted to smoke and heat from forest fires. This species occurs in North America, including British Columbia, Canada. Like other members of the genus, it likely develops in fire-scarred or recently burned coniferous wood.
Syntexis
cedar wood wasp, incense-cedar wood wasp
Syntexis is a genus of wood wasps in the family Anaxyelidae, containing a single extant species, Syntexis libocedrii, often called a 'living fossil' due to the family's extensive Mesozoic fossil record. The genus is notable for its obligate association with fire-damaged conifers and its prolonged larval development in living tree wood. Syntexis represents one of the most relictual lineages among extant Hymenoptera.
Xenomelanophila
Xenomelanophila is a monotypic genus of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) established by Sloop in 1937. The sole species, X. miranda, exhibits a highly specialized ecological association with forest fires. Females possess infrared-sensing organs that allow detection of smoldering wood for oviposition, making this genus one of the few known examples of pyrophilic beetles with confirmed thermosensory adaptations.