Nitidulidae | |||||
The beetles in this family vary greatly in shape and size from short oval/oblong to long and narrow, from flat to strongly convex. Antennae are 11 segmented, the last 3 forming a compact club. The elytra are sometimes truncate leaving 1 to 3 abdominal segments exposed. All tarsi are 5 segmented but with the 4th greatly reduced. Many species can be found on flowers although the actual food source varies greatly; pollen, fungi, dried bone and skin, carrion, tree sap, bark beetles or even bark beetle faeces. Containing 16 genera with 91 species the family is divided into 5 subfamilies. |
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Carpophilinae | |||||
3 genera. Most of the 11 species of Carpophilus are tropical imported pests of dried fruit
. The 6 species that have established themselves in the wild can be found on fungi, mould fruit or flowers. The 19 species of Epuraea are generally small, yellow yellow/brown beetles. Many are sap or fungi feeders but can also be found on flowers. |
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Carpophilini | |||||
Carpophilus marginellus |
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Epuraeini | |||||
Epuraea biguttata |
Epuraea melanocephala |
Epuraea pallescens |
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Meligethinae | |||||
Pollen beetles. The 39 species of Meligethes are all small black oblong beetles and are very difficult to differentiate. The British population is dominated by the ubiquitous M. aeneus, a serious pest of Oilseed rape and very probably the UK's most numerous beetle. | |||||
Meligethes aeneus |
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Nitidulinae | |||||
7 genera, 2 of which (Nitidula and Omosita) are associated with bones and dried carrion. Amphotis marginata is found in the nest of the ant Lasius fuliginosus where the adult is actually fed by the ants. Both Soronia species are sap feeders and are associated with the moth genus Cossus. Pocadius, Cychramus and Thalycra are fungi feeders most notably puff balls. | |||||
Soronia punctatissima |
Cychramus luteus |
Pocadius adustus |
Pocadius ferrugineus |
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Cryptarchinae | |||||
6 Species in 3 genera are all sap feeders. | Glischrochilus hortensis |
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Cybocephalinae | |||||
1 species; Cybocephala fodori was only added to the British list in 2001. This tiny beetle is believed to be a scale insect predator. | |||||
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