''Phloiophilus edwardsii'' is the sole known species of the
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 ...
family Phloiophilidae in the superfamily
Cleroidea
Cleroidea is a small superfamily of beetles containing over 10,000 species. Most of the members of the group are somewhat slender, often with fairly soft, flexible elytra, and typically hairy or scaly.
Description
Cleroidea is defined by the fo ...
. It is native to Europe. The larvae are mycophagous, and have been observed feeding on
basidiomycetes
Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...
of the genus ''
Phlebia
''Phlebia'' is a genus of mostly crust fungi in the family Meruliaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution. ''Phlebia'' species cause white rot.
Taxonomy
''Phlebia'' was circumscribed by Swedish mycologist Elias Fries in his 1821 work ''Sy ...
'' growing on dead
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
branches. The larvae are actve during the winter period, before entering the soil to pupate in late spring-early summer.
References
Phloiophilidae
Monotypic beetle genera
{{Cleroidea-stub