difficultus

Difficultus is a fictional taxon commonly used in teaching and example texts to illustrate the format of taxonomic description and ecological reporting. The name is derived from the Latin difficultus, meaning "difficult."

In most uses, Difficultus is described as a monotypic genus containing the species Difficultus perplexus. In hypothetical classifications, the genus is placed in the family Difficultidae within the order Coleoptera, though no real specimens exist.

The species is described as a small, oval beetle-like arthropod measuring 3–6 mm in length, with a matte, mottled elytral pattern that provides camouflage in leaf litter. The head is relatively broad with clubbed antennae; legs are adapted for running.

The fictional species is said to inhabit damp deciduous leaf litter in temperate forests. It is described as nocturnal and detritivorous, feeding on microfungi and decomposing plant material. The species is often cited as having a short, seasonal life cycle in teaching narratives.

Difficultus is used to demonstrate how a holotype is designated, the importance of locality data, and the role of etymology in scientific naming. It remains a construct rather than a real organism and appears in textbooks and software exercises as a stylized example of species description.