Trogossitidae

Leperina decorata, from Insects of Tasmania.

Belongs within: Cleroidea.

The Trogossitidae are a morphologically diverse group of predatory or mycophagous beetles, commonly found under bark. Members of the subfamily Egoliinae have a compact, one- or two-segmented antennal club whereas that of Trogossitinae is large, loose and three-segmented (Lawrence & Britton 1991).

Characters (from Lawrence & Britton 1991): Mostly ovate to elongate and more or less flattened, with prognathous head, short antennae bearing large, loose, slightly asymmetrical, 3-segmented club (1- to 2-segmented and compact in Egoliinae), and vestiture of short or long hairs, bristles or scales (Larinotus strongly convex with deflexed head; Egolia subcylindrical and glabrous). Tarsal formula 5-5-5, first segment may be reduced and partly concealed by tibial apex. Abdomen with five ventrites, none connate. Larvae elongate, parallel sided, slightly to strongly flattened, lightly sclerotised, except for head and usually additional sclerites on thorax and T9, mandible usually with 1 or several hyaline processes at base of mesal edge; ventral mouth-parts consolidated, without articulating areas; hypostomal rods usually long and parallel; para-gular sclerites usually present between gula and hypostomal rods; urogomphi usually well developed (minute in Larinotus).

Trogossitidae [Ostomatidae, Ostomidae, Temnochilidae, Trogositidae]
    |  i. s.: Peltonyxa LB91
    |         Larinotus umbilicatus LB91
    |         Ancyrona laticeps LB91
    |         Ostoma AT01
    |         Nemosoma elongatum RD77, G20 [=Cis (Nemosoma) elongatum G20]
    |--Egoliinae B74
    |    |--Egolia variegata LB91
    |    `--Necrobiopsis tasmanicus B74
    `--Trogossitinae B14
         |--Phanodesta B14
         |--Kolibacia B14
         |--Tenebroides mauritanicus (Linnaeus 1758) B14
         |--Calitys B14
         |    |--C. minor B14
         |    `--C. scabra (Thunberg 1784) B14
         |--Trogossita LB91
         |    |--T. australis Dupont in Boisduval 1835 B35
         |    |--T. caraboides (Linnaeus 1758) B35, L58 (see below for synonymy)
         |    `--T. virescens LB91
         |--Temnoscheila B14
         |    |--T. acuta B14
         |    |--T. chlorodia (Mannerheim 1843) B14
         |    `--T. virescens B14
         |--Lepidopterix LB91
         |    |--L. decorata LB91
         |    |--L. nigrosparsa WH02
         |    `--L. turbata LB91
         `--Leperina [Gymnochilini] B14
              |  i. s.: L. turbata B70
              |--L. cirrosa Pascoe 1860 B14
              `--+--L. decorata B14
                 `--L. moniliata B14

Trogossita caraboides (Linnaeus 1758) B35, L58 [=Tenebrio caraboides B35; incl. Platycerus fuscus B35, Trogosita mauritanica B35]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AT01] Arnett, R. H., Jr & M. C. Thomas (eds) 2001. American Beetles vol. 1. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia. CRC Press: Boca Raton.

[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.

[G20] Goldfuss, G. A. 1820. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte vol. 3. Handbuch der Zoologie pt 1. Johann Leonhard Schrag: Nürnberg.

[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).

[L58] Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii: Holmiae.

[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.

[WH02] Worthy, T. H., & R. N. Holdaway. 2002. The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric life of New Zealand. Indiana University Press: Bloomington (Indiana).

Last updated: 12 November 2020.