Cucujoidea

Dorsal and ventral views of Propalticus specimen, from here.

Belongs within: Coleoptera.
Contains: Monotomidae, Nitidulidae, Xenoscelinae, Pharaxonothinae, Erotylinae, Cryptophilinae, Languriinae, Loberinae, Cucujidae, Cryptophagidae, Silvanidae, Atomaria, Phalacridae, Laemophloeidae, Brontinae.

The Cucujoidea are an assemblage of beetles characterised by the presence of a ring-type (cucujoid) aedeagus in the male and a more or less cylindrical, pygopod-like tenth abdominal segment in the larva. Larvae also usually have a mandible with a prostheca and an often falcate mala, and may have six stemmata (Lawrence & Britton 1991).

Cucujoids include a number of fungus-feeding beetle families such as the Erotylidae and Cryptophagidae. The Erotylidae also include a number of plant-feeding species that were previously treated as a separate family Languriidae (Leschen 2003). The Hobartiidae are a family of oblong, pubescent fungus-feeding beetles found in Australia and South America, closely related to the pollen-feeding Boganiidae of Australia and southern Africa. Members of these latter two families possess dorsal tubercles on the mandible that fit against lateral cavities on the clypeus (Lawrence & Britton 1991). They are also closely related to the palmetto beetles of the genus Smicrips, a Neotropical group of tiny beetles associated with vegetation, particularly with palms (Bouchard 2014). Members of the Sphindidae and Protosphindus are unusual in feeding exclusively on slime moulds of the Myxomycetes (Bouchard 2014). The Passandridae are found in the tunnels of wood-boring insects on which their larvae develop as ectoparasitoids (Lawrence & Britton 1991).

<==Cucujoidea [Aphidiphagi, Clavicornia, Cucujides, Erotilenae, Silvanides]
    |--+--+--Monotomidae MW15
    |  |  `--Nitidulidae MW15
    |  `--+--Hobartiidae MW15
    |     |    |--Hydnobioides pubescens B14, LB91
    |     |    `--Hobartius [Hobartiinae] MW15
    |     |         |--H. chilensis Tomaszewska & Ślipiński 1995 B14
    |     |         `--H. tasmanicus LB91
    |     `--+--Smicrips [Smicripidae] MW15
    |        |    `--S. palmicola LeConte 1878 B14
    |        `--Boganiidae MW15
    |             |  i. s.: Athertonium LB91
    |             |--+--Boganium B98
    |             |  `--Afroboganium B98
    |             `--Paracucujinae MW15
    |                  |--Metacucujus encephalarti CN91, B98
    |                  `--Paracucujus rostratus Sen Gupta & Crowson 1966 MW15, B14
    `--+--+--Erotylidae [Languriidae] MW15
       |  |    |  i. s.: Hedista [Triplacinae] LB91
       |  |    |         Triplatoma gestroi G01
       |  |    |         Triplax vittipennis Gorh. 1889 G01
       |  |    |         Aulacochilus capensis [=Triplax capensis] G01
       |  |    |         Brachysphoenus Lac. 1842 FS90
       |  |    |           `--B. marginatus Ol. 1791 [incl. B. guadelupensis, B. suturalis] FS90
       |  |    |--Xenoscelinae L03
       |  |    `--+--Pharaxonothinae L03
       |  |       `--+--+--Erotylinae L03
       |  |          |  `--Cryptophilinae L03
       |  |          `--+--Languriinae L03
       |  |             `--Loberinae L03
       |  `--+--Protosphindus [Protosphindinae] MW15
       |     |    |--P. bellus B14
       |     |    `--P. chilensis Sen Gupta & Crowson 1977 B14
       |     `--+--Helotidae MW15
       |        |    |--Neohelota B14
       |        |    `--Helota MW15
       |        |         |--H. fulviventris Kolbe 1886 B14
       |        |         |--H. gemmata B14
       |        |         `--H. gorhami B14
       |        `--+--Ericmodes MW15 [incl. Protocucujus B74; Protocucujidae MW15]
       |           |    |--E. australis Grouv. 1893 M96
       |           |    |--E. fuscitarsis Reitter 1878 B14
       |           |    |--E. nigris B14
       |           |    `--E. sylvaticus MW15
       |           `--Sphindidae MW15
       |                |--Sphindus americanus MW15
       |                `--Aspidiphorus [Aspidiphoridae] LB91
       |                     |--A. humeralis Blackb. 1894 M96
       |                     `--A. orbiculatus V09
       `--+--+--Phloeostichidae [Hymaeinae] MW15
          |  |    |--Rhopalobrachium LB91
          |  |    `--Hymaea MW15
          |  |         |--H. laticollis Carter 1908 C08
          |  |         |--H. magna MW15
          |  |         `--H. succinifera Pascoe 1869 M86
          |  `--+--Cucujidae MW15
          |     `--+--Agapytho [Agapythidae] MW15
          |        |    `--A. foveicollis Broun 1921 B14
          |        `--Priasilphidae [Priasilphinae] MW15
          |             |--Priastichus tasmanicus Crowson 1973 MW15, B14
          |             |--Chileosilpha B14
          |             `--Priasilpha MW15
          |                  |--P. angulata Leschen, Lawrence & Ślipiński 2005 B14
          |                  `--P. obscura MW15
          `--+--+--Cryptophagidae MW15
             |  `--+--+--Silvanidae MW15
             |     |  `--Atomariinae MW15
             |     |       |--Paratomaria crowsoni MW15
             |     |       `--Atomaria MW15
             |     `--Cavognathidae MW15
             |          |--Taphropiestes pullivora (Crowson 1964) B14
             |          |--Cavognatha pullivora MW15, LB91
             |          |--Neocercus LB91
             |          `--Zeonidicola E02
             |               |--Z. chathamensis Watt 1980 E02
             |               `--Z. dumbletonii LB91
             `--+--+--Phalacridae MW15
                |  `--+--Laemophloeidae MW15
                |     `--Propalticidae MW15
                |          |--Slipinskogenia B14
                |          `--Propalticus MW15
                |               |--P. doddi B74
                |               |--P. oculatus Sharp 1879 B14
                |               `--P. simplex LB91
                `--+--+--Brontinae MW15
                   |  `--Cyclaxyra [Cyclaxyridae] MW15
                   |       |--C. jelineki Gimmel, Leschen & Ślipiński 2009 B14
                   |       `--C. politula MW15
                   `--+--Myrabolia [Myraboliidae, Myraboliinae] MW15
                      |    |--M. brevicornis (Erichson 1842) B14 [=Silvanus brevicornis H73]
                      |    |--M. grouvelliana L03
                      |    |--M. haroldiana M96
                      |    |--M. lindensis Blackb. 1892 M96
                      |    `--M. parva Blackb. 1892 M96
                      `--Passandridae [Passandrinae] MW15
                           |--Catogenus rufus MW15
                           |--Ancistria LB91
                           |--Aulonosoma tenebrioides LB91
                           |--Laemotmetus ferrugineus RD77
                           `--Passandra MW15 [incl. Hectarthrum LB91]
                                |--‘Hectarthrum’ angustatum Grouvelle 1889 Gr89
                                |--‘Hectarthrum’ brevifossum Gr89
                                |--P. heros LB91 [=Hectarthrum heros B70]
                                `--P. simplex (Murray 1867) B14 [=Hectarthrum simplex Ge89]

Cucujoidea incertae sedis:
  Tasmosalpingus B14 [Tasmosalpingidae MW15, Tasmosalpinginae] B14
    `--T. quadrispilotus Lea 1919 B14
  Phloiophilus B14 [Phloiophilidae MW15]
    `--P. edwardsii Stephens 1830 B14
  Cybocephalus LB91 [Cybocephalidae MW15, Cybocephalinae]
  Lamingtonium [Lamingtoniidae] L03
    |--L. binnaburense L03
    |--L. loebli Lawrence & Leschen 2003 B14
    `--L. thayerae L03
  Engis australis [=Episcapha australis] B35
  Sinisilvana Hong 2002 [Sinisilvanidae] H02
    `--*S. fushunensis Hong 2002 H02
  Hypocoprus RD77

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B98] Bellés, X. 1998. A new subgenus and two new species of Sphaericus (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from Western Australia. European Journal of Entomology 95: 263–268.

[B35] Boisduval, J. B. 1835. Voyage de Découvertes de l’Astrolabe. Exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826–1827–1828–1829, sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville. Faune entomologique de l'océan Pacifique, avec l'illustration des insectes nouveaux recueillis pendant le voyage vol. 2. Coléoptères et autres ordres. J. Tastu: Paris.

[B14] Bouchard, P. (ed.) 2014. The Book of Beetles: A lifesize guide to six hundred of nature's gems. Ivy Press: Lewes (United Kingdom).

[B70] Britton, E. B. 1970. Coleoptera (beetles). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 495–621. Melbourne University Press.

[B74] Britton, E. B. 1974. Coleoptera (beetles). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers. Supplement 1974 pp. 62–89. Melbourne University Press.

[C08] Carter, H. J. 1908. Revision of the genus Seirotrana, together with descriptions of new species of other Australian Coleoptera. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 33: 392–422.

[CN91] Cranston, P. S., & I. D. Naumann. 1991. Biogeography. In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 1 pp. 180–197. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[E02] Emberson, R. M. 2002. The beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of the Chatham Islands: additions and corrections. New Zealand Entomologist 25: 69–77.

[FS90] Fleutiaux, E., & A. Sallé. 1890. Liste des coléoptères de la Guadeloupe et descriptions d’espèces nouvelles. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 6^e série 9: 351–484.

[Ge89] Gestro, R. 1889. Viaggio ab Assab nel Mar Rosso dei signori G. Doria ed O. Beccari con il R. Avviso “Esploratore” dal 16 Novembre 1879 al 26 Febbraio 1880.—IV. Coleotteri. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2^a, 7: 5–72.

[G01] Gorham, H. S. 1901. Descriptions of genera and species of Coleoptera from South Africa (continued). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 349–365.

[Gr89] Grouvelle, A. 1889. Diagnose d'une espèce nouvelle de cucujide. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 6^e série 9: xxxiii.

[H73] Halstead, D. G. H. 1973. A revision of the genus Silvanus Latreille (s. l.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Entomology 29 (2): 39–112.

[H02] Hong Y. 2002. Amber Insect of China. Beijing Scientific and Technological Publishing House.

[LB91] Lawrence, J. F., & E. B. Britton. 1991. Coleoptera (beetles). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 543–683. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[L03] Leschen, R. A. B. 2003. Erotylidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cucujoidea): phylogeny and review. Fauna of New Zealand 47: 1–108.

[M86] Masters, G. 1886. Catalogue of the described Coleoptera of Australia. Part IV. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (2): 259–380.

[M96] Masters, G. 1896. Catalogue of the described Coleoptera of Australia. Supplement, part II. Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Hydrophyllidae, Staphylinidae, Pselaphidae, Paussidae, Silphidae, Scaphididae, Histeridae, Phalacridae, Nitidulidae, Trogositidae, Colydiidae, Cucujidae, Cryptophagidae, Lathridiidae, Mycetophagidae, Dermestidae, Byrrhidae, Parnidae, Heteroceridae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 21 (Suppl.): 695–754.

[MW15] McKenna, D. D., A. L. Wild, K. Kanda, C. L. Bellamy, R. G. Beutel, M. S. Caterino, C. W. Farnum, D. C. Hawks, M. A. Ivie, M. L. Jameson, R. A. B. Leschen, A. E. Marvaldi, J. V. McHugh, A. F. Newton, J. A. Robertson, M. K. Thayer, M. F. Whiting, J. F. Lawrence, A. Ślipiński, D. R. Maddison & B. D. Farrell. 2015. The beetle tree of life reveals that Coleoptera survived end-Permian mass extinction to diversify during the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution. Systematic Entomology 40 (4): 835–880.

[RD77] Richards, O. W., & R. G. Davies. 1977. Imms' General Textbook of Entomology 10^th ed. vol. 2. Classification and Biology. Chapman and Hall: London.

[V09] Verdcourt, B. (ed.) 2009. Additions to the wild fauna and flora of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. XXVI. Miscellaneous records. Kew Bulletin 64 (1): 183–194.

Last updated: 9 April 2022.