Phalacridae

Phalacrus coruscus, copyright Lech Borowiec.

Belongs within: Cucujoidea.

The Phalacridae are a group of ovate, strongly convex beetles that mostly feed on fungal spores (Lawrence & Britton 1991).

Characters (from Lawrence & Britton 1991): Broadly ovate, strongly convex, glabrous and shining beetles, lateral portions of prothorax and elytra broadly explanate and deflexed. Head short, broad and deeply inserted into anterior prothoracic emargination; antennae relatively long, eleven-segmented, with large three-segmented club; fore coxae globular to transverse with concealed trochantins, fore coxal cavities externally open, internally closed; mesocoxae narrowly to widely separated, cavities closed laterally; tibiae with conspicuous setal comb at apex; tarsi tetramerous with first three segments lobed and setose below and claws toothed or appendiculate; abdomen with five visible ventrites, one or two connate or all free. Larvae elongate and subcylindrical to flattened, usually narrowed posteriorly, and lightly sclerotised, except for head, protergal plate, apex of segment 8 and urogomphi or entire T9. Head broad and somewhat flattened, with short antennae and usually with median endocarina; mala blunt; hypostomal rods long and diverging; 8th spiracles located dorsally near posterior end of tergum; S9 and segment 10 more or less concealed.

<==Phalacridae [Phalacrinae]
    |--Platyphalacrus lawrencei Gimmel 2013 B14
    |--Olibroporus B14
    |--Austroporus B14
    |--Phalacrinus rotundus LB91
    |--Litochrus major LB91
    |--Parasemus LB91
    |--Olibrus C01
    |    |--O. bicolor C01
    |    |--O. flavicornis C01
    |    `--O. millefolii C01
    `--Phalacrus LB91
         |--P. bicolor [=Sphaeridium bicolor] L02
         |--P. coruscus L02
         |--P. striatipennis Lucas 1846 E12
         `--P. uniformis LB91

*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).

[C01] Csiki, E. 1901. Bogarak [Coleopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 75–120. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[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.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[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).