Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark

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," is a family in the superfamily

Cucujoidea Cucujoidea is a superfamily of beetles. This group formerly included all of the families now included in the superfamily Coccinelloidea. They include some fungus beetles and a diversity of lineages of "bark beetles" unrelated to the "true" bark ...

characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal discs bordered by ridges or grooves, and inverted male genitalia. Size range of adults is in length. Currently, it contains 40 genera and about 450 species, and is represented on all continents except Antarctica; species richness is greatest in the tropics.

Classicification

Historically, Laemophloeidae was treated as a subfamily of Cucujidae, but starting in the middle of the 20th century, most of what had been treated as subfamilies of the Cucujidae were considered to be families.

Habitat and behaviour

Most laemophloeids, adults and larvae, are found under bark of dead trees, where they apparently are primarily fungivores, although some genera with adults having subcylindrical bodies (e.g., ''

Leptophloeus ''Leptophloeus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal discs ...

'', ''

Dysmerus ''Dysmerus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae. Restricted to the New World, until recently ''Dysmerus'' included only the type species, ''D. basalis'', described from Florida in the late 19th century. A recent revisionThomas, M. ...

'') occur in the galleries of

bark beetles A bark beetle is the common name for the subfamily of beetles Scolytinae. Previously, this was considered a distinct Family (biology), family (Scolytidae), but is now understood to be a specialized clade of the "true weevil" family (Curculionid ...

( Curculionidae: Scolytinae), upon which they may feed. A few genera, but most particularly '' Cryptolestes'', contain some species that are pests of stored grain products. The most important of these are '' Cryptolestes ferrugineus'' (Stephens), ''

Cryptolestes pusillus ''Cryptolestes pusillus'' is a species of lined flat bark 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 trad ...

'' (Schönherr), and ''

Cryptolestes turcicus ''Cryptolestes turcicus'', the flour mill beetle, is a species of lined flat bark beetle in the family Laemophloeidae Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ven ...

'' (Grouvelle).

Characteristics

Several genera exhibit unusual modifications to male antennae (especially ''Cryptolestes'', ''Dysmerus'', and '' Microbrontes''), with the scape expanded into hook-like or blade-like structures. Several other genera (''

Rhinomalus ''Rhinomalus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal discs b ...

'', ''

Rhinophloeus ''Rhinophloeus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal discs ...

'', and '' Metaxyphloeus'') related to '' Laemophloeus'' are atypical in that the adults are rostrate to varying degrees. Photographs of most world genera are available at, and most North American species are pictured at:

Leaping larvae

According to an article published by ''PLOS ONE'', a discovery has been made regarding the larvae of laemophloeidae. Studies show that when the larvae is in the open, the larvae will straighten themselves out and jump curling up into a ball in the process. It has also been discovered that the larvae can bounce when they are curled up.

Gallery

File:Odontophloeus sp Brazil habitusMontage.jpg, '' Odontophloeus'' sp. File:Phloeolaemus hoplitesMontage.jpg, ''

Phloeolaemus hoplites ''Phloeolaemus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal discs ...

''. File:Dysmerus symphilus male dorsalMontage.jpg, ''

Dysmerus symphilus ''Dysmerus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae. Restricted to the New World, until recently ''Dysmerus'' included only the type species, ''D. basalis'', described from Florida in the late 19th century. A recent revisionThomas, M. ...

''. File:Metaxyphloeus germaini dorsal2Montage.jpg, ''

Metaxyphloeus germaini ''Metaxyphloeus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal disc ...

''. File:Lepidophloeus habitusMontage.jpg, ''

Lepidophloeus exquisitus ''Lepidophloeus exquisitus'' is a species of beetle in the family Laemophloeidae. It was discovered in 1906 by French entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1040629 Cucujoidea families