Passalidae is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 variously as "bessbugs", "bess beetles", "betsy beetles" or "horned passalus beetles". Nearly all of the 500-odd species are tropical; species found in North America are notable for their size, ranging from 20–43 mm, for having a single "horn" on the head, and for a form of

social behavior Social behavior is behavior among two or more organisms within the same species, and encompasses any behavior in which one member affects the other. This is due to an interaction among those members. Social behavior can be seen as similar to an ...

unusual among beetles. Bodies elongate-cylindrical and black overall; ventral surfaces may be covered with yellow

setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for " bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. ...

. The head is narrower than the thorax, with antennae consisting of 10 antennomeres with a three-segment club. The

elytra An elytron (; ; , ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometimes alterna ...

are elongate with parallel sides, and heavily striated. They are subsocial (brood caring) beetles that live in groups within rotting logs or stumps. The beetles will excavate tunnel systems within rotting wood where the females then lay their eggs. They care for their young by preparing food for them and helping the

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 construct the pupal case. Both adults and larvae must consume adult feces which have been further digested by

microflora Microbiota are the range of microorganisms that may be commensal, symbiotic, or pathogenic found in and on all multicellular organisms, including plants. Microbiota include bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses, and have been found to ...

for a time; an arrangement that might be described as a sort of external

rumen The rumen, also known as a paunch, is the largest stomach compartment in ruminants and the larger part of the reticulorumen, which is the first chamber in the alimentary canal of ruminant animals. The rumen's microbial favoring environment al ...

. In addition, they are also able to produce fourteen acoustical signals, more than many

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with c ...

s. Adults produce the sounds by rubbing the upper surface of the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

against the hind wings. The larvae produce the sounds by rubbing the third leg against a striated area on the coxa of the second leg. While the

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

species is well-known (four species in the US, and 90 in Mexico), bess beetles in other parts of the world need further study. Of North American species, '' Odontotaenius disjunctus'' (''synonym: Popilius disjunctus'') is the familiar bessbug found throughout the eastern US and Canada, while ''O. floridanus'' has only been found in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

on sand hills that used to be islands when Florida was flooded thousands of years ago. ''Ptichopus angulatus'' was recently discovered near the border of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. Its habitat is south to Colombia and it is commonly associated with the detritus chambers of leafcutter ant nests (''Atta'' spp.). Two other species were reported from Arizona at the beginning of the 20th century, but have not been seen there since that time; they may have been brought from Mexico by a train hauling firewood. The oldest records of the family go back to the Cretaceous, with the genus '' Ceracyclus'' known from two species found in the Cenomanian aged

Burmese amber Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. The ...

, the genus appears to be closely related to the living genus '' Cylindrocaulus''. The family has been suggested to have a close relationship with the extinct family Passalopalpidae.

Selected species

*Genus '' Aceraius'' Aceraius laevicollis - Mindanao, Philippines

:'' Aceraius grandis'' *Genus '' Aulacocyclus'' :'' Aulacocyclus edentulus'' *Genus '' Ceracupes'' :'' Ceracupes arrowi'' *Genus '' Chondrocephalus'' :'' Chondrocephalus debilis'' :'' Chondrocephalus granulifrons'' *Genus '' Cylindrocaulus'' :'' Cylindrocaulus patalis'' *Genus '' Didimus'' :'' Didimus laevis'' :'' Didimus parastictus'' *Genus '' Heliscus'' :'' Heliscus tropicus'' *Genus '' Leptaulax'' :'' Leptaulax bicolor'' *Genus '' Odontotaenius'' :'' Odontotaenius disjunctus'' (patent-leather beetle) :'' Odontotaenius floridanus'' :'' Odontotaenius striatopunctatus'' *Genus ''

Ogyges Ogyges, also spelled Ogygos or Ogygus (Ancient Greek: Ὠγύγης or Ὤγυγος), is a primeval mythological ruler in ancient Greece, generally of Boeotia, but an alternative tradition makes him the first king of Attica. Etymology Though the ...

'' :'' Ogyges laevior'' *Genus ''

Oileus In Greek mythology, Oileus or Oïleus (; grc, Ὀϊλεύς ''Oī̈leús'') was the king of Locris, and an Argonaut. Family Oileus's father was given as Hodoedocus (whom Oileus succeeded as King of Locris) and his mother as Agrianome (daught ...

'' :'' Oileus rimator'' *Genus '' Passalus'' :'' Passalus affinis'' :'' Passalus caelatus'' :'' Passalus elfriedae'' :'' Passalus inops'' :'' Passalus interruptus'' :'' Passalus interstitialis'' :'' Passalus jansoni'' :'' Passalus latifrons'' :'' Passalus pugionifer'' :'' Passalus punctatostriatus'' :'' Passalus punctiger'' :'' Passalus spiniger'' :'' Passalus unicornis'' *Genus '' Paxillus'' :'' Paxillus leachi'' :'' Paxillus pentataphylloides'' *Genus '' Pentalobus'' :'' Pentalobus barbatus'' *Genus '' Petrejoides'' :'' Petrejoides orizabae'' *Genus '' Popilius'' :'' Popilius eclipticus'' *Genus ''

Proculus Proculus (died c. 281) was a Roman usurper, one of the "minor pretenders" according to ''Historia Augusta'', who would have taken the purple against Emperor Probus in 280. This is now disputed. Probably Proculus had family connection with the Fr ...

'' :'' Proculus burmeisteri'' :'' Proculus mniszechi'' *Genus '' Ptichopus'' :'' Ptichopus angulatus'' *Genus '' Publius'' :''

Publius agassizi ''Publius agassizi'' is a beetle of the family Passalidae, named in honor of Louis Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recogn ...

'' *Genus '' Spasalus'' :'' Spasalus crenatus'' *Genus '' Spurius'' :''

Spurius bicornis ''Spurius bicornis'' is a beetle of the Family Passalidae Passalidae is a family of beetles known variously as "bessbugs", "bess beetles", "betsy beetles" or "horned passalus beetles". Nearly all of the 500-odd species are tropical; species fo ...

'' *Genus ''

Verres Gaius Verres (c. 120–43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence adv ...

'' :'' Verres corticicola'' :'' Verres hageni'' *Genus '' Veturius'' :'' Veturius transversus''

Footnotes

References

* Jack C. Schuster, "Passalidae", 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, 2002), vol. 2 * BugGuid
Passalidae

External links

on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Sound recording of Passalidae at BioAcoustica
{{Taxonbar, from=Q227894 Beetle families

Selected species

See also

Footnotes

References

External links