''Pediacus'' is the largest

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 ...

of flat bark beetles. It contains 31 currently recognized species.Michael C. Thomas. 2004. A revision of ''Pediacus'' Shuckard (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) for America north of Mexico, with notes on other species. Insecta Mundi 17: 157-177 (2003). ''Pediacus'' adults are relatively small (2.7-7.0mm), flattened brownish beetles with no or very small temples, and short antennae with a distinct club. Male genitalia are inverted and possess a short flagellum. The genus is

Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...

in distribution, but extends south as far as

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

in the Western Hemisphere, generally at high altitudes, and into

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in the Eastern Hemisphere. Adults and larvae are found under dead bark; frequently that of

conifers Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extan ...

in North America. They are thought to be predaceous. Most of the world fauna of ''Pediacus'' has been revised recently and the genus is relatively well-known taxonomically. Included species are: In addition to the extant species, a single fossil species, ''Pediacus periclitans'' Scudder, has been described from the Eocene deposits at

Florissant, Colorado Florissant is an unincorporated town, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Teller County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Floriss ...

. Its assignment to ''Pediacus'' has been questioned.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10347153 Cucujidae Cucujoidea genera