Undescribed-diversity
Guides
Agra
elegant canopy beetles
Agra is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) commonly known as elegant canopy beetles. The genus contains over 500 described species, with more than 1000 additional specimens in collections awaiting formal description. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Lebiinae and tribe Lebiini, and are characterized by their association with forest canopy habitats.
Apomecynini
Apomecynini is a tribe of small, flightless (apterous) longhorn beetles within the subfamily Lamiinae. Members are commonly associated with leaf litter and subcortical habitats, particularly in the Neotropics. The tribe includes numerous species, many of which remain undescribed due to their cryptic lifestyle and small size.
Aspicerinae
Aspicerinae is a subfamily of parasitic cynipoid wasps within the family Figitidae (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea). The subfamily contains multiple genera including Aspicera, Prosaspicera, Callaspidia, Omalaspis, and Paraspicera. Members are primarily Holarctic in distribution, though some genera extend into the Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Oriental regions. The group has undergone extensive recent taxonomic revision, revealing substantially greater species diversity than previously recognized.
Cynipoidea
Gall Wasps and Allies
Cynipoidea is a superfamily of small wasps comprising approximately 3,000 described species across seven extant families, with many undescribed species estimated. The group exhibits diverse life histories: while the family Cynipidae (gall wasps) are phytophagous and induce plant galls, the majority of species are parasitoids or hyperparasitoids of other insects. The superfamily is taxonomically challenging, with family-level identification historically difficult until the publication of a comprehensive illustrated key in 2020.
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ant-loving beetles
Goniaceritae is a supertribe of minute ant-loving beetles within the subfamily Pselaphinae (Staphylinidae), established by Edmund Reitter in 1882. The group comprises approximately 16 genera and at least 30 described species, though this is likely an underestimate given ongoing taxonomic work. The type genus is Goniacerus Motschulsky, 1855. Members of this supertribe are myrmecophilous, meaning they are ecologically associated with ants, though the specific nature of these associations varies among genera and species.
Hypomicrogaster
Hypomicrogaster is a genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Microgastrinae, containing over 40 described species. The genus was taxonomically revised in 2015, with 40 new species described and four previously named species redescribed. Species in this genus are parasitoids of Lepidoptera, with documented associations to 11 lepidopteran families and 52 confirmed host species feeding on 34 plant families. The genus is distributed across North, Central, and South America.
Landryia matutella
Landryia matutella is a minute moth in the family Scythrididae, a group commonly known as flower moths. The genus Landryia is distinguished by strikingly asymmetrical genitalia. Most species in this group remain undescribed despite being collected for decades, with only 4-6 described species per genus though dozens are known. This species has been recorded from Saskatchewan, Canada.
Landryia reducta
Landryia reducta is a microlepidopteran moth in the family Scythrididae, a group commonly known as flower moths. Members of the genus Landryia are distinguished by strikingly asymmetrical genitalia, a diagnostic feature within the Scythrididae. The species belongs to a poorly resolved taxonomic group where most genera contain dozens of known but undescribed species.
Megaselia globipyga
Megaselia globipyga is a species of scuttle fly in the family Phoridae, described by Borgmeier in 1966. It belongs to the genus Megaselia, which contains approximately half of all described species in the Phoridae family and is characterized as a "dark taxon" due to its extreme diversity and taxonomic complexity. No specific biological or ecological information has been documented for this species.
Megaselia perdita
Megaselia perdita is a species of scuttle fly in the family Phoridae, described by Malloch in 1912. It belongs to the genus Megaselia, which contains approximately half of all described species in the Phoridae family and is characterized as a "dark taxon" due to its extraordinary diversity and taxonomic complexity. The species has been recorded from Santa Catarina, Brazil. Like other members of its genus, it is likely extremely small and morphologically cryptic, contributing to the challenges of species identification without molecular data.
Megaselia ventralis
scuttle fly
Megaselia ventralis is a species of phorid fly (family Phoridae) described by Borgmeier in 1963. It belongs to the genus Megaselia, which comprises approximately half of all species in the Phoridae family and is characterized as a 'dark taxon' due to its extraordinary species diversity and taxonomic complexity. The species name 'ventralis' refers to a ventral character state, though specific details of this feature are not documented in the provided sources.
Miracinae
miracine wasps
Miracinae is a poorly known subfamily of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae. These minute wasps, typically measuring 1–2 mm in length, are rarely collected using traditional methods but appear to be diverse in Australia and other regions. Recent taxonomic work has described multiple new species from Australia, Brazil, India, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, including three species named through citizen science collaboration with Australian school students.
Phaeogenini
Phaeogenini is a tribe of ichneumon wasps within the subfamily Ichneumoninae, family Ichneumonidae. The tribe comprises at least 34 genera distributed across the Nearctic, Neotropical, and Palearctic regions. Taxonomic revisions have been published for multiple genera including Saltagenes, Heterischnus, Jethsura, and Lusius, indicating substantial undescribed diversity remains, particularly in Central and South America.
Schizoptera
minute litter bugs
Schizoptera is the largest genus of minute litter bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Dipsocoromorpha), comprising approximately 90 described extant species plus two fossil species. The genus is divided into four subgenera: Schizoptera (Cantharocoris), Schizoptera (Odontorhagus), Schizoptera (Schizoptera), and Schizoptera (Zygophleps). Species are abundant in New World bulk and residue samples, with extensive undescribed diversity indicated by recent collecting efforts. Male genitalia are intricate and asymmetrical, providing excellent diagnostic features for species identification.
Scythrididae
flower moths
Scythrididae (flower moths) is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. Adults are small to mid-sized and appear teardrop-shaped when at rest. The family contains numerous species, many of which remain undescribed—some genera have dozens of known species but only 4-6 formally described. Taxonomic placement has been debated: Scythrididae has been treated as a subfamily Scythridinae of Xyloryctidae, and Xyloryctidae itself has sometimes been placed within Oecophoridae. The family is distributed across multiple continents with records from Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and North America.
Scythris eboracensis
flower moth
Scythris eboracensis is a minute moth in the family Scythrididae, commonly known as flower moths. The species was described by Zeller in 1855 and occurs in the Canadian prairies. Adults are among the smallest Lepidoptera, with a body length of approximately 4–5 mm. They have been observed resting on and moving among the flowers of composite shrubs, particularly in dry, open habitats. The life history of this species has not been formally documented, though related species in the genus are known to have larvae that feed internally on Asteraceae.
Scythris inornatella
Scythris inornatella is a microlepidopteran moth in the family Scythrididae, commonly known as flower moths. The species belongs to a poorly studied group with many undescribed taxa. Available records indicate adults are associated with composite flowers (Asteraceae). Like other Scythris species, it is presumed to have small larvae that feed internally on plant tissues, though specific life history details for this species remain undocumented.
Scythris mixaula
Scythris mixaula is a minute moth in the family Scythrididae, described by Edward Meyrick in 1916. The species is characterized by its extremely small size (approximately 4-5 mm in length) and association with flowering plants, particularly composites in the Asteraceae family. It belongs to a poorly studied group of microlepidopterans known as "flower moths," many of which remain undescribed or await taxonomic revision. The species has been documented in western North America, including Alberta, Canada.