superfamily
SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...
of
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 describ ...
s. It is the type superfamily of the infraorder
Bostrichiformia
Bostrichiformia is an infraorder of polyphagan beetles.
It contains two superfamilies, Derodontoidea and Bostrichoidea, which includes the Dermestidae, Ptinidae
Ptinidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Bostrichoidea. There are ...
.
Description
The Bostrichoidea are united by the following features: modified cryptonephridism, the structure of the
aedeagus
An aedeagus (plural aedeagi) is a reproductive organ of male arthropods through which they secrete sperm from the testes during copulation with a female. It can be thought of as the insect equivalent of a mammal's penis, though the comparison ...
in males, and the lack of a basal mandibular mola in larvae.
Aside from this, Bostrichoidea show a range of morphologies. For example, in Bostrichidae alone, the adult body shape varies from convex to flattened, the body length from 2 to 50 mm, and the colour may be yellow, brown or black and sometimes has a metallic hue.
Ecology
Bostrichoids generally live in dry habitats. For example, many Bostrichidae feed on wood, though some attack
monocotyledonous
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, ( Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...
plants as well and ''Rhyzopertha dominica'' feeds on stored grains and cereal products. Similarly, most Ptinidae are wood-borers as larvae but some feed on other dry plant or animal material, such as stored foods, tobacco and museum specimens. Dermestidae are typically
scavengers
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding b ...
on dried organic matter with a high protein content, with some species being predators or feeding on pollen and nectar.
Families and subfamilies
Bostrichoidea includes the following subgroups:
* Family
Bostrichidae
The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 described species. They are commonly called auger beetles, false powderpost beetles, or horned powderpost beetles. The head of most auger beetles cannot be seen from above, as it is down ...
Dinoderinae
The Dinoderinae comprise a subfamily of the beetle family Bostrichidae. There are five to seven genera. They live in wood. Some species are known as pests of wood-based and other stored products.
Genera include:Dysidinae
Dysidinae is a subfamily of beetles
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 ...
Lesne, 1921
** Subfamily
Euderiinae
''Euderia squamosa'' is a species of beetles. It is the only member of the monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not in ...
Lesne, 1934
** Subfamily
Lyctinae
Powderpost beetles are a group of seventy species of woodboring beetles classified in the insect subfamily Lyctinae. These beetles, along with spider beetles, death watch beetles, common furniture beetles, skin beetles, and others, make up th ...
Psoinae
Psoinae is a small subfamily of beetles in the family Bostrichidae
The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 described species. They are commonly called auger beetles, false powderpost beetles, or horned powderpost beetles. T ...
Blanchard, 1851
* Family
Dermestidae
Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are over 1,100 species described.
Dermestids have ...
Latreille, 1804 - Carpet Beetles
** Subfamily
Attageninae
Attageninae was a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae
Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and kha ...
Laporte, 1840
** Subfamily
Dermestinae
Dermestinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae. It contains the following genera:
* '' Derbyana'' Lawrence & Slipinski, 2005
* ''Dermestes
''Dermestes'' is a genus of beetles in the family Dermestidae, the skin beetles. The ...
Latreille, 1804
** Subfamily
Megatominae
Megatominae is a subfamily of the beetle family Dermestidae. This subfamily contains several of the most well-known household and stored-product pest beetles, in the genera '' Anthrenus'' and '' Trogoderma''.
Genera
There are about 27 genera.Há ...
Leach, 1815
** Subfamily
Orphilinae
Orphilinae is a subfamily of beetles that includes three genera: ''Orphilodes'', '' Orphilus'' and '' Ranolus''. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte
John Lawrence LeConte (May 13, 1825 – November 15, 1883) was an American entomologist ...
LeConte, 1861
** Subfamily
Thorictinae
Thorictinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae, containing the following genera:Trinodinae
Trinodinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae, containing the following genera:Endecatomidae LeConte, 1861
* Family
Ptinidae
Ptinidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Bostrichoidea. There are at least 220 genera and 2,200 described species in Ptinidae worldwide. The family includes spider beetles and deathwatch beetles.
The Ptinidae family species are hard ...
Latreille, 1802 (formerly Anobiidae)
** Subfamily
Alvarenganiellinae
Alvarenganiellinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Ptinidae. There is at least one genus, '' Dasytanobium'', in Alvarenganiellinae.
The subfamily Alvarenganiellinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly considered membe ...
Viana and Martínez, 1971
** Subfamily
Anobiinae
Anobiinae is a subfamily of death-watch beetles in the family Ptinidae, with at least 45 genera. It was formerly considered a member of the family Anobiidae, but its family name has since been changed to Ptinidae.
The larvae of a number of spec ...
Fleming, 1821 - Death-watch Beetles
** Subfamily
Dorcatominae
Dorcatominae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are about 16 genera and at least 190 described species in Dorcatominae.
The subfamily Dorcatominae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were former ...
Thomson, 1859
** Subfamily
Dryophilinae
Dryophilinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are at least six genera and two described species in Dryophilinae.
The subfamily Dryophilinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly con ...
Eucradinae
Eucradinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are at least 5 genera and about 18 described species in Eucradinae.
The subfamily Hedobiinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly consi ...
LeConte, 1861
** Subfamily
Mesocoelopodinae
Mesocoelopodinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are at least 4 genera and 100 described species in Mesocoelopodinae.
The subfamily Mesocoelopodinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were f ...
Mulsant and Rey, 1864
** Subfamily
Ptilininae
Ptilininae is a subfamily of death-watch beetles in the family Ptinidae.
The subfamily Ptilininae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly considered members of the family Anobiidae, but the family name has since been changed to ...
Shuckard, 1839
** Subfamily
Ptininae
Spider beetles make up the subfamily Ptininae, in the family Ptinidae. There are approximately 70 genera and 600 species in the subfamily, with about 12 genera and 70 species in North America north of Mexico.
Spider beetles have round bodies wi ...
Latreille, 1802 - Spider Beetles
** Subfamily
Xyletininae
Xyletininae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are about 13 genera and at least 170 described species in Xyletininae.
The subfamily Xyletininae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly ...