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Discolomidae
Discolomatidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Coccinelloidea. It contains approximately 400 species in 16 genera, which are found mostly found in tropical regions, being largely absent from temperate regions. They have generally been found associated with decaying vegetation or fungi, and are therefore assumed to be fungivorous, though some species are associated with ants (myrmecophily). The larvae have unusual flattened sclerotised bodies, with heads that are concealed from above.Cline, Andrew R. and Ślipinśki, Adam. "10.31. Discolomatidae Horn, 1878". ''Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim)'', edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 435-442. Taxonomy * ''Aphanocephalus'' (149) * ''Cassidoloma'' (13) * ''Cephalophanus'' (7) * ''Discoloma'' (28) * ''Dystheamon'' (1) * ''Fallia'' (7) * ''Holophygus'' (3) * ''Katoporus'' (3) * ''N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 and 2.1 million total species. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae (ladybirds or ladybugs) eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops. Beetles typically have a particularly hard e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
