Tshekardocoleidae is an extinct family of beetles, known from the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...

. They represent amongst the oldest beetles. Like other primitive beetles, they are thought to have been

xylophagous Xylophagy is a term used in ecology to describe the habits of an herbivorous animal whose diet consists primarily (often solely) of wood. The word derives from Greek ''ξυλοφάγος'' (''xulophagos'') "eating wood", from ''ξύλον'' (') ...

. They first appeared during the

Cisuralian The Cisuralian is the first Series (stratigraphy), series/Epoch (geology), epoch of the Permian. The Cisuralian was preceded by the Pennsylvanian (geology), Pennsylvanian and followed by the Guadalupian. The Cisuralian Epoch is named after the w ...

, before becoming extinct at the beginning of the

Guadalupian The Guadalupian is the second and middle series/epoch of the Permian. The Guadalupian was preceded by the Cisuralian and followed by the Lopingian. It is named after the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico and Texas, and dates between 272.95 ± 0. ...

. A claimed

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

record is doubtful. The oldest known beetle, ''

Coleopsis ''Coleopsis archaica'' is an extinct species of stem-group beetle. It is the only member of the genus ''Coleopsis'' and family Coleopsidae. It is known from a single specimen from the Early Permian (Asselian) of western Germany, estimated to be a ...

,'' was originally assigned to this family, but is now assigned to its own family Coleopsidae.

Taxonomy

upundescribed Tshekardocoleid larvae, Tshekarda site Kirejtshuk (2020) included the following genera in Tshekardocoleidae * †'' Avocoleus'' - Obora site (

Sakmarian In the geologic timescale, the Sakmarian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is a subdivision of the Cisuralian Epoch or Series. The Sakmarian lasted between 293.52 and million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Asselian and followed by t ...

);

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

, Czech Republic **†'' Avocoleus fractus'' (

Type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

) **†'' Avocoleus neglegens'' * †'' Boscoleus'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Boscoleus blandus'' (Type species) * †'' Eocoleus'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Eocoleus scaber'' (Type species) * †'' Moravocoleus'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Moravocoleus permianus'' (Type species) * †'' Permocoleus'' - Midco Member (

Artinskian In the geologic timescale, the Artinskian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is a subdivision of the Cisuralian Epoch or Series. The Artinskian likely lasted between and million years ago (Ma) according to the most recent revision of the ...

);

Noble County, Oklahoma Noble County is located in the north central part of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,561. Its county seat is Perry. It was part of the Cherokee Outlet in Indian Territory until Oklahoma Territory was created in 1890, and ...

, USA **†'' Permocoleus wellingtoniensis'' (Type species) * †'' Prosperocoleus'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Prosperocoleus prosperus'' (Type species) * †'' Retelytron'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Retelytron conopeum'' (Type species) * †'' Sylvacoleodes'' - Tshekarda site (

Kungurian In the geologic timescale, the Kungurian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is the latest or upper of four subdivisions of the Cisuralian Epoch or Series. The Kungurian lasted between and million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Artin ...

);

Suksun Suksun (russian: Суксун) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Suksunsky District of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the left bank of the Sylva River (a tributary of the Chusovaya River), from the city o ...

Perm Krai Perm Krai (russian: Пе́рмский край, r=Permsky kray, p=ˈpʲɛrmskʲɪj ˈkraj, ''Permsky krai'', , ''Perem lador'') is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 refe ...

, Russia **†'' Sylvacoleodes admirandus'' (Type species) * †'' Sylvacoleus'' - Tshekarda site (

);

, Russia **†'' Sylvacoleus richteri'' (Type species) **†'' Sylvacoleus sharovi'' * †'' Tshekardocoleus'' - Tshekarda site (

);

, Russia **†'' Tshekardocoleus magnus'' (Type species) **†'' Tshekardocoleus minor'' * †'' Umoricoleus'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Umoricoleus perplex'' (Type species) * †'' Votocoleus'' - Obora site (

);

, Czech Republic **†'' Votocoleus submissus'' (Type species) The genus '' Uralocoleus'' had been placed in the family by some authors, but the type species '' Uralocoleus splendens'' was considered ''

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 ...

'' by Kirejtshuk (2020) as a possible beetle or cockroach. The second species placed in the genus '' "Uralocoleus" ultimus'' was rejected from placement in ''Uralocoleus'' and listed as "''genus incertus''" ''ultimus'' .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19393435 † Prehistoric beetles Taxa named by Boris Rohdendorf Tshekardocoleoidea Prehistoric insect families