Xylophilous
Guides
Camponotus ocreatus
Carpenter ant
Camponotus ocreatus is a species of carpenter ant in the genus Camponotus, first described by Emery in 1893. It is native to arid and semi-arid regions of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Like other members of the genus, it nests in wood and maintains colonies with polymorphic worker castes.
Chrysopilus
snipe flies
Chrysopilus is a diverse genus of snipe flies in the family Rhagionidae, comprising approximately 300 species with worldwide distribution across all biogeographical regions. The genus includes both extant and fossil species, with some fossil members preserved in amber. Several species exhibit metallic scaling on the exoskeleton, giving adults a distinctive appearance. Larval development occurs in moist, decaying organic substrates including rotting wood and damp soil.
Lestodiplosis
Lestodiplosis is a genus of gall midges in the family Cecidomyiidae. Species in this genus are predatory rather than plant-feeding, with at least one documented species, Lestodiplosis xylodiplosuga, preying on other gall midge larvae that inhabit freshly cut wood. These tiny flies are part of a complex ecological community associated with xylophilous (wood-dwelling) cecidomyiids in Europe and potentially North America.
Prostomis
Prostomis is a genus of beetles in the family Prostomidae, established by Latreille in 1819. The genus contains at least 28 accepted species distributed across multiple continents. Members of this genus are xylophilous (wood-associated) beetles with a documented fossil record extending to the mid-Holocene in Europe. The genus is considered rare in modern faunas, with some species no longer present in regions where they occurred historically.