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 ...
of
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 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 sandstones, siltstones, marls and bituminous shales, deposited in a stratified lake. It is s ...
of Russia.
Classification
The family includes these genera:
* Subfamily
Calonecrinae Kirejtshuk, 1982
* Subfamily
Maynipeplinae Kirejtshuk, 1998
* Subfamily
Epuraeinae Kirejtshuk, 1986
* Subfamily
Carpophilinae 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''
Erichson, 1843
** ''
Urophorus
''Urophorus'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are at least two described species in ''Urophorus''.
Species
These two species belong to the genus ''Urophorus'':
* '' Urophorus humeralis'' (Fabricius, 1798) (pi ...
''
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
* '' Brassicoge ...
Thomson, 1859
** ''
Meligethes
''Meligethes'' is a genus of pollen beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are more than 80 described species in ''Meligethes''.
Species
These 81 species belong to the genus ''Meligethes'':
* '' Meligethes amei''
* '' Meligethes atramentar ...
''
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. There are about 17 genera and at least 70 described species in Nitidulinae.
Genera
These are 17 out of the approximately 110 genera belonging to the subfamily ...
Latreille, 1802
** ''
Amphotis
''Amphotis'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are about eight described species in ''Amphotis''.
Species
These eight species belong to the genus ''Amphotis'':
* '' Amphotis bella'' Heer, 1847
* '' Amphotis de ...
''
Erichson, 1843
** ''
Cychramus
''Cychramus'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are about six described species in ''Cychramus''.
Species
These six species belong to the genus ''Cychramus'':
* '' Cychramus adustus'' Erichson, 1843
* '' Cychr ...
''
Kugelann, 1794
** ''
Cyllodes
''Cyllodes'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are about 14 described species in ''Cyllodes''.
Species
These 14 species belong to the genus ''Cyllodes'':
* '' Cyllodes accentus'' Kirejtshuk, 1985
* '' Cyllodes ...
''
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''
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''
** ''
Urophorus
''Urophorus'' is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae. There are at least two described species in ''Urophorus''.
Species
These two species belong to the genus ''Urophorus'':
* '' Urophorus humeralis'' (Fabricius, 1798) (pi ...
''
References
External links
sap beetles of Floridaon the
UF /
IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Keys for the identification of British Nitidulidae (the pollen beetles)
{{Nitidulidae-stub