''Cryptophagus'' is a genus of beetles in the family

Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungus beetles and both adults and larvae appear to feed exclusively on fungi although in a wide vari ...

, the silken fungus beetles. It is distributed across all the biogeographic realms of the world.Lyubarsky, G. Y. and E. E. Perkovsky. (2011)
Third contribution on Rovno amber silken fungus beetles: a new Eocene species of ''Cryptophagus'' (Coleoptera, Clavicornia, Cryptophagidae).
''ZooKeys'' (130), 255-61. Like most of the other beetles in the family, these are fungivores, feeding on fungal

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s and

hypha A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one or ...

e.''Cryptophagus'' spp.
Canadian Grain Commission. 2013. These beetles are flattened and oval in shape, and are generally 2 to 3 millimeters long. They are reddish to dark brown, sometimes with yellowish patterns on the elytra. The thorax is often sculptured with teeth, angles, or other projections. Some are hairy. The larva is usually yellow-brown and cylindrical but flattened, with visible legs. Some species are considered

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

when they inhabit stores of

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

, dried fruit, and other products, however, the beetles feed on fungi growing on the food product rather than the product itself. They also breed in the fungi, laying eggs in the hyphae. They are more common in products that are damp and moldy. The beetles can transmit fungal spores to products, encouraging mold growth. In Canada the beetles are common in the grain-producing prairie regions. These beetles can be found in other habitats where fungi are available, such as beehives, the nests of other

hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

ns such as wasps and ants, rodent nests, and wool.Lyubarsky, G. Y. and E. E. Perkovsky. (2012)
The first Eocene species of the genus ''Cryptophagus'' (Coleoptera, Clavicornia, Cryptophagidae).
''Vestnik Zoologii'' 46(1), 83-87. Species include:''Cryptophagus''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

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Cryptophagus acutangulus ''Cryptophagus acutangulus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle native to Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and tra ...

'' – acute-angled fungus beetle *''

Cryptophagus bidentatus ''Cryptophagus bidentatus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fung ...

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Cryptophagus cellaris ''Cryptophagus cellaris'', known generally as the cellar beetle or cellar fungus beetle, is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic r ...

'' – cellar fungus beetle *''Cryptophagus confertus'' *''

Cryptophagus corticinus ''Cryptophagus corticinus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fung ...

'' *''Cryptophagus croceus'' *''

Cryptophagus dentatus ''Cryptophagus dentatus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungus ...

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Cryptophagus difficilis ''Cryptophagus difficilis'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fung ...

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Cryptophagus discedens ''Cryptophagus discedens'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungu ...

'' *''Cryptophagus distinguendus'' *''

Cryptophagus fallax ''Cryptophagus fallax'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungus b ...

'' *''Cryptophagus fumidulus'' *''Cryptophagus hebes'' *''Cryptophagus hexagonalis'' *''Cryptophagus histricus'' *''Cryptophagus jakowlewi'' *''

Cryptophagus lapponicus ''Cryptophagus lapponicus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fung ...

'' *''

Cryptophagus latens ''Cryptophagus latens'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungus b ...

'' *'' Cryptophagus laticollis'' *''Cryptophagus lecontei'' *''Cryptophagus lycoperdi'' *''Cryptophagus mainensis'' *''Cryptophagus maximus'' *''Cryptophagus nobilis'' *''Cryptophagus obsoletus'' *''Cryptophagus peregrinus'' *''

Cryptophagus pilosus ''Cryptophagus pilosus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle native to Europe.Johnson, C.1992 Familie: Cryptophagidae. In: Die Käfer Mitteleuropas, vol.2 Goecke and Evers. Krefeld: 114-134 It is also present in the northwestern United States, w ...

'' *''Cryptophagus plenus'' *''Cryptophagus politus'' *''Cryptophagus porrectus'' *''Cryptophagus quadrihamatus'' *'' Cryptophagus saginatus'' *'' Cryptophagus scanicus'' *''Cryptophagus scutellatus'' *'' Cryptophagus setulosus'' *''

Cryptophagus stromus ''Cryptophagus stromus'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungus ...

'' *'' Cryptophagus subfumatus'' *''Cryptophagus tuberculosus'' *''

Cryptophagus valens ''Cryptophagus valens'' is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are commonly called silken fungus b ...

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Cryptophagus varus ''Cryptophagus varus'', the sigmoid fungus beetle, is a species of silken fungus beetle in the family Cryptophagidae Cryptophagidae is a family of beetles with representatives found in all biogeographic realms. Members of this family are comm ...

'' – sigmoid fungus beetle *''Cryptophagus vestigialis'' Some fossil species have been discovered in amber and as compression fossils in rock: *''Cryptophagus alexagrestis'' *''Cryptophagus bassleri'' *''Cryptophagus harenus'' *''Cryptophagus petricola'' *''Cryptophagus suncholensis''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14930525 Cryptophagidae Cucujoidea genera