Laemophloeidae

Laemophloeus sp., copyright Robert Webster.

Belongs within: Cucujoidea.

The Laemophloeidae are a group of elongate-bodied beetles that mostly feed on moulds and other fungi. They may be recognised by the presence of a pair of longitudinal, submarginal carinae on the pronotum.

Characters (from Lawrence & Britton 1991): Elongate, parallel-sided, usually flattened, glabrous or pubescent; head large, prognathous, with prominent mandibles; antenna eleven-segmented, club (if present) never very large or abrupt, scape may be modified in male; pronotum bearing pair of longitudinal, submarginal carinae; fore coxae globular, trochantins concealed, fore coxal cavities externally open or closed, internally closed; elytra often carinate; mid coxal cavities widely separated, laterally open; tarsal formula 5-5-5 or 5-5-4; abdomen with five ventrites, none connate. Larvae narrowly elongate, parallel sided, flattened and lightly sclerotised, except for head, 8th segment and T9. Head flattened, with moderately long antennae, paired dorsal endocarinae and long, parallel hypostomal rods; mandible with several hyaline processes near base of mesal edge; mala blunt; T9 forming articulated plate, S9 and segment 10 reduced and concealed within emargination in S8.

<==Laemophloeidae B14
    |--Leptophloeus clematidis (Erichson 1846) B14
    |--Dysmerus B14
    |--Placonotus LB91
    |--Rhabdophloeus LB91
    |--Cryptolestes ferrugineus LB91
    |--Metaxyphloeus B14
    |    |--M. signatus B14
    |    `--M. texanus (Schaeffer 1904) B14
    `--Laemophloeus LB91
         |--L. amabilis LB91
         |--‘Laemophlaeus’ elongatus Lucas 1846 E12
         |--L. ferrugineus B70
         |--‘Laemophlaeus’ nigricollis Lucas 1846 E12
         |--‘Laemophlaeus’ rufipes Lucas 1846 E12
         `--‘Laemophlaeus’ suberis Lucas 1846 E12

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[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.

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l’Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[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).

Last updated: 30 November 2020.