''Palaestes'' 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
Cucujidae
The Cucujidae, "flat bark beetles," are a family of distinctively flat beetles found worldwide (except Africa and Antarctica) under the bark of dead trees. The family has received considerable taxonomic attention in recent years and now consists ...
. It contains eight currently recognized species. Like all members of the Cucujidae, adults are greatly dorso-ventrally compressed. All known species of ''Palaestes'' are brightly colored red or yellow and black, and the males have curiously modified mandibles that look like ice tongs; female mandibles are not modified. ''Palaestes'' shares with the Australian-New Zealand genus ''
Platisus'' the character of the male genitalia, which lacks a flagellum, lying on its side in the abdomen, versus inverted in ''
Cucujus
''Cucujus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Cucujidae, the flat bark beetles. It contains 19 currently recognized species and subspecies.
Description
Species of ''Cucujus'' are of moderate size (6-25mm), greatly dorso-ventrally compressed, ...
'' and ''
Pediacus''.
The biology of ''Palaestes'' species is almost entirely unknown, as are the immature stages. They are presumed to be predacious like other cucujids for which the biology is better known. Specimens are uncommon in collections. The genus is confined to Central and South America.
[Sharp, D. 1899. Cucujidae. Biologia Centrali Americana, Coleoptera 2(1): 449-563.] Described species are:
* ''Palaestes abruptus''
Sharp, 1899
* ''Palaestes freyreissi''
(Heyden in Maples, 1827)
* ''Palaestes nicaraguae''
Sharp, 1899
* ''Palaestes nigriceps''
Waterhouse
* ''Palaestes nigridens''
Sharp, 1899
* ''Palaestes scutellaris''
Sharp, 1899
* ''Palaestes tenuicornis''
Waterhouse
* ''Palaestes variipes''
Sharp, 1899
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q16987158
Cucujidae