''Laricobius'' is a genus 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 in the family

Derodontidae Derodontidae is a family of beetles, in its own superfamily, Derodontoidea, sometimes known as the tooth-necked fungus beetles. Beetles of this family are small, between 2 and 6 mm in length, typically with spiny margins on their pronotum (p ...

, the tooth-necked fungus beetles.''Laricobius''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) It is one of four genera in the family. While the other three feed on

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

, ''Laricobius'' species feed on adelgids, tiny insects very similar to

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

s.Montgomery, M. E., et al. (2011)
A new species of ''Laricobius'' (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) from Japan with phylogeny and a key for native and introduced congeners in North America.
''Annals of the Entomological Society of America'' 104(3) 389-401. Some adelgids are destructive forest pests, and ''Laricobius'' beetles have been employed as agents of biological pest control to prey on them and reduce their populations. An example is '' Laricobius nigrinus'', which is released in forests to control the

hemlock woolly adelgid The hemlock woolly adelgid (; ''Adelges tsugae''), or HWA, is an insect of the order Hemiptera (true bugs) native to East Asia. It feeds by sucking sap from hemlock and spruce trees (''Tsuga'' spp.; ''Picea'' spp.). In its native range, HWA ...

(''Adelges tsugae'').Zilahi-Balogh, G. M. G., et al
A predator case history: ''Laricobius nigrinus'', a derodontid beetle introduced against the hemlock woolly adelgid.
''In'': Second International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods, Davos, Switzerland. 12–16 September 2005. 651-64. As of 2014, there are about 23 species in the genus. Species include:Háva, J. (2006)
World catalogue of the family Derodontidae (Coleoptera).
''Pol Pismo Entomol'' 75 29-38. Updated 2014 Version. *'' Laricobius baoxingensis'' *'' Laricobius bicolor'' *'' Laricobius caucasicus'' *'' Laricobius daliensis'' *'' Laricobius danielae'' *'' Laricobius erichsonii'' *'' Laricobius incognitus'' *'' Laricobius jizu'' *'' Laricobius kangdingensis'' *'' Laricobius kovalevi'' *'' Laricobius ludmilae'' *'' Laricobius laticollis'' *'' Laricobius loebli'' *'' Laricobius minutus'' *'' Laricobius mirabilis'' *'' Laricobius naganoensis'' *'' Laricobius nigrinus'' *'' Laricobius osakensis'' *'' Laricobius rubidus'' *'' Laricobius sahlbergi'' *'' Laricobius schawalleri'' *'' Laricobius taiwanensis'' *'' Laricobius wittmeri''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14940716 Derodontidae Bostrichiformia genera