The false stag beetles (''Diphyllostoma'') are a group of three species of rare

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 known only from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Almost nothing is known of their life history beyond that the adults are diurnal and females are flightless;

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e have not been observed. Their length ranges from 5 to 9 mm; bodies are elongate, with a generally dull brown to reddish-brown color. Both body and legs are covered with longish hairs. Originally classed with the

Lucanidae Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...

, ''Diphyllostoma'' have a number of characteristics not shared with any other type of stag beetle, and so in 1972 Holloway proposed a separate family Diphyllostomatidae, which has since been accepted.

Species

* '' Diphyllostoma fimbriatum'' (Fall), 1901 * '' Diphyllostoma linsleyi''

Fall Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

, 1932 * '' Diphyllostoma nigricolle'' (Fall), 1901

Notes

References

Mary Liz Jameson Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

and Brett C. Ratcliffe, "Diphyllostomatidae", in

Ross H. Arnett, Jr. Ross Harold Arnett Jr. (April 13, 1919 – July 16, 1999) was an American entomologist noted for his studies of beetles, and as founder of the ''Coleopterist's Bulletin''. Born in Medina, New York, he was a star student at Cornell University, wher ...

and Michael C. Thomas, ''American Beetles'' ( CRC Press, 2001), vol. 2 * B. A. Holloway, "The systematic position of the genus ''Diphyllostoma'' Fall (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)" ''New Zealand Journal of Science'' 15: 31-38 (1972)

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q137433 Scarabaeiformia