The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

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 Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separa ...

. Sap beetles coexist with fungi species and live in habitats of coniferous trees. They are found all across Europe and Siberia and are the biggest nutudulid species known in those areas. There are a few pest species. An example of a pest species is the strawberry sap beetle that infest crops in Brazil between the months of August and February. * the

picnic beetle ''Glischrochilus'' (sometimes misspelled as ''Glisrochilus'') is a genus of sap-feeding and predatory beetles under the family Nitidulidae, subfamily Cryptarchinae. Most members of this genus are commonly known as picnic beetles or beer bugs. D ...

, ''Glischrochilus quadrisignatus'' * the dusky sap beetle, ''Carpophilus lugubris'' * the strawberry sap beetle, ''Stelidota geminata'' * the

small hive beetle The small hive beetle (''Aethina tumida'') is a beekeeping pest. It is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, but has spread to many other locations, including North America, Australia, and the Philippines. The small hive beetle can be a destructive pe ...

, ''Aethina tumida'' The oldest unambiguous fossils of the family date to the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

, belonging to the genus '' Crepuraea'' from the

Aptian The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma to 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma (million years ago), a ...

aged

Zaza Formation The Zaza Formation is a geological formation located in Buryatia (Russia). It dates to the Lower Cretaceous period. It is Aptian in age and consists of Sandstone, sandstones, Siltstone, siltstones, Marl, marls and bituminous Shale, shales, deposi ...

of Russia.

Classification

The family includes these genera: * Subfamily Calonecrinae Kirejtshuk, 1982 * Subfamily Maynipeplinae Kirejtshuk, 1998 * Subfamily Epuraeinae Kirejtshuk, 1986 * Subfamily

Carpophilinae Carpophilinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are at least 70 described species in Carpophilinae. Genera * '' Amphicrossus'' Erichson, 1843 * '' Aphenolia'' Reitter, 1884 * ''Carpophilus'' Stephens, 1830 * '' Caplotho ...

Erichson, 1842 ** ''

Carpophilus ''Carpophilus'' is a genus of sap beetles. They are agricultural pests that cause feeding damage to a variety of fruits, grains and other food products worldwide. The genus contains a great number of species. Description Adult ''Carpophilus'' ...

'' Stephens, 1830 ** ''

Epuraea ''Epuraea'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae, first described in 1843 by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson. There are at least 40 described species in ''Epuraea''. Their most notable food source is sap but these beetles also f ...

'' Erichson, 1843 ** ''

Urophorus ''Urophorus'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbe ...

'' Murray, 1864 * Subfamily Amphicrossinae Kirejtshuk, 1986 * Subfamily

Meligethinae Meligethinae is a subfamily of pollen beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are about 6 genera and about 10 described species in Meligethinae. Genera * '' Acanthogethes'' Reitter, 1871 * '' Afrogethes'' Audisio & Cline, 2009 * '' Brassicoget ...

Thomson, 1859 ** ''

Meligethes ''Meligethes'' is a genus of pollen beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed ant ...

'' Stephens, 1830 ** ''

Pria PRIA is a four-letter acronym or abbreviation, and may refer to: * International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Image Analysis, a biennial scientific international conference *Pre-Roman Iron Age, a Northern European archaeological period ...

'' Stephens, 1830 * Subfamily

Nitidulinae Nitidulinae is a subfamily of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knob ...

Latreille, 1802 ** ''

Amphotis ''Amphotis'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed ...

'' Erichson, 1843 ** ''

Cychramus ''Cychramus'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbe ...

'' Kugelann, 1794 ** ''

Cyllodes ''Cyllodes'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed ...

'' Erichson, 1843 ** ''

Ipidia ''Ipidia'' is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Nitidulidae. The species of this genus are found in Europe and Japan. Species: * ''Ipidia binotata ''Ipidia binotata'' is a species of beetles from sap beetle family, that can be fo ...

'' Erichson, 1843 ** ''

Nitidula ''Nitidula'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed ...

'' Fabricius, 1775 ** '' Omosita'' Erichson, 1843 ** '' Physoronia'' Reitter, 1884 ** '' Pocadius'' Erichson, 1843 ** ''

Soronia ''Soronia'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are about 14 described species in ''Soronia''. Species These 14 species belong to the genus ''Soronia'': * '' Soronia borbonica'' Grouvelle, 1899 * '' Soronia dorr ...

'' Erichson, 1843 ** '' Thalycra'' Erichson, 1843 ** '' Tumida'' Murray, 1867 * Subfamily Cillaeinae Kirejtshuk & Audisio, 1986 ** '' Cillaeopeplus'' Sharp, 1908 * Subfamily Cryptarchinae Thomson, 1859 ** '' Cryptarcha'' Shuckard, 1839 ** '' Glischrochilus''

Reitter Reitter is a German occupational surname, which means a "mounted soldier" or "knight", from the Middle High German ''ritære'' (" horseman"). Notable people with the surname include: * Edmund Reitter (1845–1920), a Moravia-born Austrian-German e ...

, 1873 ** '' Pityophagus'' Shuckard, 1839 * Subfamily Cybocephalinae Jacquelin du Val, 1858 (''now frequently elevated to family status as Cybocephalidae'') ** ''

Cybocephalus ''Cybocephalus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Cybocephalidae, previously belonging to the subfamily Cybocephalinae of the family Nitidulidae, and comprising over 200 described species.Cline, AR, et al. (2014) Molecular phylogeny of Niti ...

'' Erichson, 1844 ** '' Pastillus'' Endrödy-Younga, 1962 * Subfamily Prometopinae ** '' Prometopia'' * ''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' ** '' Apetinus'' ** '' Conotelus'' ** '' Cyrtostolus'' ** '' Eunitidula'' ** '' Eupetinus'' ** '' Gonioryctus'' ** '' Goniothorax'' ** '' Haptoncus'' ** ''

Kateretes ''Kateretes'' is a genus of short-winged flower beetles in the family Kateretidae. There are about six described species in ''Kateretes''. Species These six species belong to the genus ''Kateretes'': * ''Kateretes dalmatinus'' (Sturm, 1844) * '' ...

'' ** '' Nesapterus'' ** '' Nesopetinus'' ** '' Notopeplus'' ** '' Orthostolus'' ** '' Stelidota'' ** ''

References

External links

sap beetles of Florida
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Keys for the identification of British Nitidulidae (the pollen beetles)
{{Nitidulidae-stub