Wood-associated
Guides
Abdera
Abdera is a genus of false darkling beetles (family Melandryidae) established by Stephens in 1832. The genus is found in northern Europe, with confirmed records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As a member of the family Melandryidae, Abdera species are associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats. The genus contains multiple species, though specific taxonomic boundaries and species counts require further verification.
Acaricoris
flat bugs
Acaricoris is a genus of flat bugs (family Aradidae) established by Harris & Drake in 1944. The genus contains approximately eight described species distributed primarily in North America and the Caribbean. Members of this genus are associated with decaying wood habitats. As with other aradids, they are flattened dorsoventrally and are typically found in concealed microhabitats such as under bark.
Amarygmini
darkling beetles
Amarygmini is a tribe of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) comprising over 80 genera. Adults are active, long-legged beetles capable of flight, primarily associated with tree bark and dead wood habitats. The tribe is notable for having long-lived larvae and relatively short-lived adults. Most species are nocturnal and occur in both natural forests and urban environments.
Anostirus exclamationis
Anostirus exclamationis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Anostirus belongs to the subfamily Dendrometrinae (formerly considered part of Athoinae or related lineages). Click beetles are characterized by their ability to 'click' and jump using a prosternal spine that engages with a mesosternal groove. Species in this genus are typically associated with forested habitats and decaying wood, though specific ecological details for A. exclamationis remain poorly documented.
Aradus nr-behrensi-calif
California near Aradus behrensi
Aradus nr-behrensi-calif is a flat bug species in the family Aradidae, designated with the "nr" (near) prefix indicating it closely resembles but may not be conspecific with Aradus behrensi. The "calif" suffix suggests California origin. Flat bugs in this genus are typically associated with dead wood habitats. This designation is commonly used in entomological collections when precise species identification requires further taxonomic verification.
Aradus robustus
flat bug
Aradus robustus is a species of flat bug in the family Aradidae, first described by Uhler in 1871. It is distributed across North America, with confirmed records from the United States including Vermont. The species is one of two recognized subspecies within the Aradus robustus complex, with the nominate subspecies A. r. robustus and A. r. insignis described by Parshley in 1921. As a member of the flat bug family, it belongs to a group of true bugs adapted to life under bark and in decaying wood.
Aulacus brevicaudus
Aulacus brevicaudus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Aulacidae, a group often overlooked due to their resemblance to ichneumon wasps. The genus Aulacus comprises generally smaller species compared to the related genus Pristaulacus. Like other aulacids, this species is associated with wood-boring beetle hosts. Aulacidae as a family contains two genera and approximately 185 species globally, with 32 species recorded in North America.
Bothriderini
Bothriderini is a tribe of beetles within the family Bothrideridae. Members of this tribe are small, often flattened beetles with compact bodies. The tribe is part of the broader Bothrideridae family, which consists primarily of ectoparasitoids of wood-boring beetles. Bothriderini species are associated with decaying wood habitats where their hosts occur.
Brachycorynus hirsutus
Bristly Fungus Weevil
Brachycorynus hirsutus is a small fungus weevil in the family Anthribidae, characterized by its bristly body covering. The species was described by Valentine in 1998 and is known from North America. Like other members of the genus, it likely feeds on fungal growths on decaying wood, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The species is rarely encountered and has only been recorded from a handful of observations.
Catogenus rufus
Eastern Flat Passandrid
Catogenus rufus is a species of parasitic flat bark beetle in the family Passandridae. The species was described by Fabricius in 1792. It is found in North America, with distribution records including Canada (Ontario) and the United States. The common name "Eastern Flat Passandrid" reflects its geographic concentration in eastern North America. Members of Passandridae are known for their flattened body form and parasitic or commensal relationships with wood-boring beetles.
Chalcosyrphus metallifer
Orange-horned Leafwalker
Chalcosyrphus metallifer, commonly known as the Orange-horned Leafwalker, is a rare species of syrphid fly found in the Eastern United States. Adults are typically observed on flowers, where they feed on nectar and pollen. The species belongs to the subgenus Xylotomima within the genus Chalcosyrphus, a group whose larvae are associated with decaying wood rather than the aphid predation typical of many hoverflies.
Chalcosyrphus nemorum
Dusky-banded Leafwalker
Chalcosyrphus nemorum is a common species of syrphid fly with a Palearctic and Nearctic distribution. Adults are medium-sized hoverflies with distinctive enlarged, swollen hind femora bearing ventral spines and curved hind tibiae—adaptations associated with their association with dead wood. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with males having holoptic (contiguous) eyes. Larvae develop under the bark of conifers (Larix, Pinus) and various hardwoods, where they function as saprophages in decaying wood. Adults are flower visitors, obtaining nectar and pollen from diverse plant species including white umbellifers, Caltha, Anemone nemorosa, and Ranunculus.
Chalcosyrphus plesia
Black-hipped Leafwalker
Chalcosyrphus plesia, known as the black-hipped leafwalker, is an uncommon syrphid fly found in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. The species is a documented mimic of the digger wasp Sphex nudus. Unlike many syrphids that hover at flowers, this species exhibits behavioral and morphological adaptations associated with dead wood habitats. The specific epithet "plesia" and common name "black-hipped leafwalker" refer to distinctive dark coloration on the posterior body region.
Chalcosyrphus vecors
Orange-hipped Leafwalker
Chalcosyrphus vecors, commonly known as the Orange-hipped Leafwalker, is a species of syrphid fly (family Syrphidae) found throughout North America. It belongs to the subgenus Xylotomima and was originally described by Osten Sacken in 1875. Like other members of its genus, this species is associated with dead and decaying wood, where its larvae develop as saprophages.
Coenomyia ferruginea
Stink Fly
Coenomyia ferruginea, commonly known as the stink fly, is a species of fly in the family Xylophagidae. The family name derives from Greek roots meaning "wood-eating," referring to the larval habit of developing in dead and decaying wood. Adults are large, brown, and slow-moving flies that can be mistaken for beetles at first glance. The species occurs across Europe and North America. Formerly classified as a subfamily of Rhagionidae (snipe flies), Xylophagidae is now recognized as a distinct family closely related to Tabanidae (horse and deer flies).
Corticeus hatchi
Corticeus hatchi is a small darkling beetle (family Tenebrionidae, subfamily Colydiinae) described by Boddy in 1957. Members of the genus Corticeus are typically associated with dead or dying wood, where they feed on fungal mycelia. The species is part of a diverse group of bark beetles and allies that play important roles in forest decomposition processes. Specific ecological data for C. hatchi remain limited in published literature.
Dysmerus basalis
Dysmerus basalis is a species of lined flat bark beetle in the family Laemophloeidae, described by Casey in 1884. It belongs to a family of small beetles commonly associated with dead or decaying wood, where they feed on fungal hyphae. The species has been documented in North America. Like other members of Laemophloeidae, it is likely adapted to life under bark, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Enoclerus acerbus
Enoclerus acerbus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae, first described by Wolcott in 1911. It belongs to the genus Enoclerus, the largest genus of Cleridae in North America north of Mexico with 32 species. Like other members of its genus, it is likely a predator of woodboring beetles, though specific prey relationships for this species have not been documented. The species is found in North America.
Enoclerus quadrisignatus
White-belted Enoclerus
Enoclerus quadrisignatus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in Central America and North America. The common name "White-belted Enoclerus" refers to a distinctive pale band across the elytra. Like other members of the genus, it is likely associated with dead wood habitats where it preys on other insects.
Enoclerus vetus
Orange Tamaulipan Enoclerus
Enoclerus vetus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It occurs in North America. Like other members of the genus Enoclerus, it is likely associated with dead wood habitats where it preys on other beetles, particularly woodboring species. The specific epithet "vetus" (Latin for "old") was given by Wolcott in 1927. The species is known from relatively few observations.
Hexarthrum
Hexarthrum is a genus of true weevils (Curculionidae) established by Wollaston in 1869. The genus contains approximately 10 described species distributed across Asia, Africa, and North America. One species, Hexarthrum ulkei (eastern wood weevil), is known from North America. Most species appear to be associated with woody plants, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented for the majority of species.
Lutrochus
travertine beetles
Lutrochus is the sole genus in the family Lutrochidae, a group of small aquatic beetles commonly called travertine beetles. The genus contains approximately 21 species distributed from the southern United States through Central America to Brazil. Both adults and larvae inhabit shallow, fast-flowing streams where they are specifically associated with submerged decaying wood and travertine deposits.
Melandryidae
False Darkling Beetles
Melandryidae, or false darkling beetles, is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea containing approximately 420 species in 60 genera. Members are found worldwide and are primarily associated with rotting wood and wood-decomposing fungi in both larval and adult stages. The family has a fossil record extending back to at least the mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) with specimens in Burmese amber, and the tribe Hypulini is documented from late Eocene Baltic amber. Many species are saproxylic, inhabiting dead and decaying wood in forest ecosystems.
Meracantha contracta
Contracted Darkling Beetle
Meracantha contracta is a North American darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) distinguished by its strongly convex, humped body profile and association with decaying wood. Adults measure 11-14 mm and are bronze-black when mature. The species overwinters as larvae within rotting logs, producing antifreeze compounds to survive temperatures down to approximately -11°C. It has been recorded from at least Ontario, Canada, with broader distribution across North America.
Narthecius
Narthecius is a genus of small beetles in the family Laemophloeidae, established by J.L. LeConte in 1861. The genus contains nine described species distributed in North America and Europe. Species in this genus are characterized by their flattened body form, typical of the family Laemophloeidae, which are commonly known as lined flat bark beetles. These beetles are primarily associated with dead or decaying wood habitats.
Pristaulacus occidentalis
Pristaulacus occidentalis is a species of aulacid wasp described by Cresson in 1879. The species belongs to family Aulacidae, a group of parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Evanioidea. It is endemic to North America, with distribution records from Canada including Alberta. The genus Pristaulacus is one of two genera in Aulacidae, comprising approximately 185 species globally with 32 species recorded in North America.
Quilnus heidemanni
Quilnus heidemanni is a species of flat bug in the family Aradidae, a group of true bugs (Hemiptera) characterized by their dorsoventrally flattened bodies. Species in this genus are associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats. The genus Quilnus is relatively small and poorly documented in the literature, with limited published research on its biology. Observations of this species remain sparse, with most records originating from North America.
Rhytidops
Rhytidops is a genus of flies in the family Ropalomeridae, established by Lindner in 1930. The genus contains at least two described species: Rhytidops chacoensis from Argentina and Rhytidops floridensis from the southeastern United States. Ropalomeridae flies are generally associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats. Very little is known about the biology of Rhytidops specifically.
Synchroidae
synchroa bark beetles
Synchroidae is a small family of tenebrionoid beetles containing three extant genera: Mallodrya (monotypic, North America), Synchroa (five species, North America and Asia), and Synchroina (two species, Oriental region). The family has been historically confused with Melandryidae but was established as independent based on larval morphology and adult characters. Members are elongate, slightly flattened beetles with brownish to black coloration, ranging 10–16 mm in length.
Tenebroides americanus
Tenebroides americanus is a bark-gnawing beetle in the family Trogossitidae. The species occurs in eastern Canada, with confirmed records from Ontario and Québec. As a member of Trogossitidae, it belongs to a family of predatory beetles often associated with bark and wood habitats. The specific biology and ecology of this species remain poorly documented.
Traginops irroratus
Traginops irroratus is a species of fly in the family Odiniidae, described by Coquillett in 1900. The genus Traginops belongs to the subfamily Traginopinae, one of the more distinctive lineages within this small family of acalyptrate Diptera. Odiniid flies are generally associated with decomposing wood and sap flows, though specific natural history details for this species remain poorly documented.
Uloma
Uloma is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae comprising more than 200 species and subspecies worldwide. The genus is particularly diverse in China, with at least 37 recorded species. Immature stages have been described for few species, revealing oligopod larvae and exarate pupae with sexual dimorphism in some species. Members are primarily associated with decaying wood in forest habitats.
Xylomya aterrima
Xylomya aterrima is a species of wood soldier fly in the family Xylomyidae. It belongs to a small family of flies whose larvae develop in decaying wood and under bark. The species was described by Johnson in 1903. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with forested habitats where dead and decaying wood is present. The family Xylomyidae is closely related to Stratiomyidae and shares ecological similarities in larval development.
Xylophagidae
awl-flies, stink flies
Xylophagidae is a small family of lower brachyceran flies comprising nine extant genera and approximately 135 species. Commonly known as awl-flies or stink flies, these insects are characterized by elongated bodies that resemble ichneumon wasps, with a constricted base of the abdomen and three-segmented antennae. The family occurs across all biogeographical regions except the Afrotropics. Larvae are primarily associated with rotting wood, where many species are predatory on other insect larvae.
Xylophagus
wood flies
Xylophagus is a genus of flies in the family Xylophagidae, containing more than 30 described species. The genus was established by Meigen in 1803. Larvae are associated with wood and exhibit freeze tolerance, maintaining ion homeostasis during extracellular ice formation. Adults are commonly known as wood flies.
Xylophagus cinctus
Red-belted Awl-fly
Xylophagus cinctus is a species of awl-fly in the family Xylophagidae, commonly known as the Red-belted Awl-fly. Its larvae are freeze-tolerant and inhabit wood, where they have been observed to maintain transmembrane ion distribution during freezing—a physiological adaptation that allows survival in cold environments. The species has a broad distribution across the Northern Hemisphere.