// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Erotylidae say? I'm a little beetle-ied.
| Pleasing fungus beetles Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Tropical Erotylidae described by Henry Stephen Gorham in 1888 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Superfamily: | Cucujoidea |
| Family: | Erotylidae Latreille, 1802 [1] |
| Subfamilies | |
(but see text) | |
Erotylidae, or the pleasing fungus beetles, is a family of small beetles. At most some 2 cm (less than 1 inch) long, some species of Erotylidae are as small as 2 mm. They belong to superfamily Cucujoidea and contain hundreds of genera, with much more than 3.000 described species, and new ones being discovered even today. The family name, like the common name referring to their often colorful, shiny and rounded "cute" appearance, means "darling" or "beloved" (from Ancient Greek ἐρωτύλος);[2] they were historically popular with insect collectors.
In the present circumscription, the family contains up to 10 subfamilies (Cryptophilinae, Dacninae, Encaustinae, Erotylinae, Languriinae, Loberinae, Megalodacninae, Pharaxonothinae, Tritominae, and Xenoscelinae, but see below).[1] In other words, the narrowly circumscribed Erotylidae correspond to the subfamily Erotylinae in the former definition sensu lato; other subfamilies of the old loosely-defined Erotylidae have nowadays been restored to independent family status within the Cucujoidea.
Description and ecology
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These beetles are typically smallish (less than 1 cm long) as adults, and have a more or less oval "pill-shaped" form; some genera are elongated, some are more rounded. Their antennae are rather large compared to their overall size, and usually prominently expanded at the tip. The usual coloration of pleasing fungus beetles is either black (often with a few jagged bands across or large spots on the elytra in a contrasting reddish-ochre to yellowish color), tan to chestnut brown (often with numerous small black dots on the upperside), or part black part brown without pattern. While most genera have a shiny surface, occasionally with metallic iridescence, some are hairy.
The members of this family have a characteristic combination of synapomorphies which distinguishes them from their relatives: gland ducts below and an impressed line above the compound eyes, the keel on the pronotum sides is simple, the coxal cavities of the forelegs are laterally extended, a trochantinal notch is present, the sides of the midleg cavities are closed by a forward expansion of the metasternum, and the aedeagus of the male genitalia has fairly long struts on the penis and is laterally compressed.[3]
Erotylidae feed on plant and fungal matter; some are important pollinators (e.g. of the ancient cycads), while a few have gained notoriety as pests of some significance. Sometimes, useful and harmful species are found in one genus, e.g. Pharaxonotha. Most pleasing fungus beetles, however, are inoffensive animals of little significance to humans.
Pleasing fungus beetles are an ancient lineage, probably originating considerably more than 100 million years ago. The oldest fossil assigned to this group is an undescribed species known from Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Lebanese amber.[4]
Systematics
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The division into subfamilies and tribes is not definitely established. For example, the Cryptophilinae, Loberinae and Pharaxonothinae are sometimes included as tribes in the Xenoscelinae, and similarly the Dacninae, Encaustinae, Megalodacninae and Tritominae in the Erotylinae, resulting in a 3-subfamily arrangement.[2] The lasting doubts on the monophyly of lower ranked taxa within Erotylidae necessitate further phylogenetic studies with better sampling and studies of unexplored character sets, for example the metendosternite and penile flagellum, which are generally lacking detailed morphological studies within the Coleoptera literature.[5]
The Erotylina taxonomy, as revised by Pecci-Maddalena in 2021, is based on traits such as their different colors and not on morphological differences like mouthparts, thorax, and abdominal terminalia.[6]
Selected genera
[edit source]The following genera are a sample of those usually retained in the reduced Erotylidae:
- Acropteroxys
- Aegithus
- Afrodacne Delkeskamp, 1954[7]
- Ameridacne Skelley, 2009[7]
- Antillengis Skelley, 2009[8]
- Apetus[verification needed] Delkeskamp, 1935
- Apteronesitis Arrow, 1928[9]
- Asmonax Gorham, 1892[10]
- Atomarops Reitter, 1889[11]
- Aulacocheilus
- Bolerus Grouvelle, 1919[11][12] (=Thallisellodes)
- Brachydacne Arrow, 1937[13]
- Brachypterosa Zablotny & Leschen, 1996[11]
- Cardiodacne Philipp, 1965[7]
- Cathartocryptus (= Xenoscelinus)
- Chinophagus Ljubarsky, 1997 [11]
- Cnecosa Pascoe, 1866[7]
- Combocerus
- Coptengis Crotch, 1876[9]
- Crowsonguptus Leschen & Węgrzynowicz, 1998[11] (= Coelocryptus Sharp, 1900 nec Thomson, 1873: preoccupied)
- Cryptodacne
- Cryptophagops Grouvelle, 1919[11]
- Cryptophilus
- Cycadophila Xu, Tang & Skelley, 2015[8]
- Cypherotylus (= Gibbifer)
- Cyrtengis Reitter, 1900[9]
- Cyrtomorphus
- Dacne (= Cnesophages, Engis)
- Dasydactylus
- Dromodacne Arrow, 1925[9]
- Echinothallis Skelley, Leschen & Liu 2021[7]
- Empocryptus Sharp, 1900[11][12] (= Pseudhenoticus)
- Encaustes Lacordaire, 1842[10]
- Endytus Bedel, 1882[9]
- Episcapha
- Episcaphula Crotch, 1876[9] (sometimes in Megalodacne)
- Epytus (= Oocyanus)
- Erotylus
- Euzostria Gorham, 1888[9]
- Fitoa Dajoz, 1973[11]
- Haematochiton (may belong into Mycotretus)
- Hapalips
- Henoticonus Reitter, 1878[11]
- Hirsutotriplax (= Hirsotriplax)
- Hoplepiscapha Lea, 1922[9]
- Hornerotylus Chûjô, 1941[10] (formerly in Aulacocheilus)
- Hybosoma Gorham, 1883[9]
- Idiodacne Arrow, 1925[9]
- Iphiclus (= Brachysphoenus)
- Ischyrus Lacordaire, 1842 (= Micrischyrus)
- Kuschelengis Skelley & Leschen, 2007[7]
- Languria (= Janessa)
- Languriomorpha
- Langurites
- Laurenticola Philipp, 1965[14]
- Lepidotoramus
- Leucohimatium Rosenhauer, 1856[11]
- Linodesmus Bedel, 1882[8]
- Loberogosmus Reitter, 1876[11]
- Loberolus Grouvelle, 1919[11]
- Loberopsyllus Martinez & Barrera, 1966[11]
- Loberoschema Reitter, 1896[11]
- Loberus
- Lobosternum
- Macrodacne Heller, 1918 (1920)[9] (sometimes in Megalodacne)
- Madadacne Philipp, 1965[7]
- Masahiria Wegrzynowicz, 2005[7]
- Megalodacne (= Psephodacne, Romodacne)
- Megischyrus (= Ischyrus Dejean, 1836 ("1837"; unavailable))
- Metallencaustes Heller, 1918 (1920)[10]
- Micrencaustes Crotch, 1875[10] (= Mimencaustes)
- Microdacne Skelley, Leschen & Liu 2021[7]
- Microsternus
- Mimodacne (sometimes in Megalodacne)
- Mycolybas
- Mycomystes
- Mycotretus
- Neoblytus Bedel, 1882[9]
- Neocoptengis Heller, 1900[9]
- Neodacne Chûjô, 1976[9] (sometimes in Megalodacne)
- Neopriotelus
- Neosternus Dai & Zhao, 2013[7] (formerly in Microsternus)
- Neothallis Fauvel, 1891[9] (= Monothallis)
- Nesitis Bedel, 1882[9]
- Oretylus Heller, 1920[9] (sometimes in Megalodacne)
- Paphezia Zablotny & Leschen, 1996[11]
- Paracoptengis Heller, 1918 (1920)[9]
- Pharaxonotha
- Phonodacne Arrow, 1925[9]
- Plagiopisthen Thomson, 1856[14]
- Pseudischyrus (may belong into Tritoma)
- Satelia Lewis, 1887[10]
- Scaphidomorphus
- Scaphodacne Heller, 1918[8]
- Setariola Jakobson, 1915[11]
- Simocoptengis Heller, 1918 (1920)[9]
- Stengita Reitter, 1875[11]
- Stenodina Fairmaire, 1898[11]
- Subana Heller, 1918 (1920)[9]
- Tamboria Heller, 1918 (1920)[9]
- Telmatoscius Sharp, 1900[11][12]
- Tetrathallis Crotch, 1876[9]
- Thallis Erichson, 1842[9]
- Thaumastodacne Deelder, 1942[9]
- Tomarops Grouvelle, 1903[11]
- Toramus (= Itomarus)
- Trichulus Bedel, 1882[9]
- Triplatoma Westwood, 1832[9] (= Pantheropterus)
- Triplax (= Paratritoma, Tritomapara)
- Tritoma (= Cyrtotriplax)
- Truquiella Champion, 1913[11][12] (may belong into Hapalips)
- Xenodacne Boyle, 1956[7]
- Zavaljus
Earlier authors did not include the lizard beetles and relatives in the Erotylidae; instead, genera such as Pseudodacne (and sometimes its entire family Euxestidae) or Eidoreus (today family Eupsilobiidae) were assigned to the pleasing fungus beetle family.[13]
References
[edit source]- 1 2 "Erotylidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- 1 2 "Family Erotylidae - Pleasing Fungus Beetles". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ McHugh, Joseph V. & Chaboo, Caroline S. (2015): Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Erotylidae Latreille, 1802. J.Kans.Entomol.Soc. 88(2): 274-282. doi:10.2317/kent-88-02-274-282.1
- ↑ Peris, David; Ruzzier, Enrico; Perrichot, Vincent; Delclòs, Xavier (July 2016). "Evolutionary and paleobiological implications of Coleoptera (Insecta) from Tethyan-influenced Cretaceous ambers". Geoscience Frontiers. 7 (4): 695–706. Bibcode:2016GeoFr...7..695P. doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2015.12.007. hdl:2445/100747. S2CID 56018971.
- ↑ Pecci-Maddalena, Italo Salvatore De Castro; Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano; Skelley, Paul (2021). "The metendosternite and penile flagellum: two unexplored character systems of pleasing fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 193 (3): 953–972. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa152.
- ↑ Italo Salvatore de Castro Pecci-Maddalena; et al. (2021). "Erotylina Curran (Coleoptera, Erotylidae, Erotylini): redescription of type species, potential species groups and diversity of color patterns". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 93 (4) e20201452. doi:10.1590/0001-3765202120201452. PMID 34586321. S2CID 238219028.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Skelley, Paul E. (2023): Subgenera of Dacne Latreille, 1797 (Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Dacnini) given full generic rank. Insecta Mundi 0971: 1–9.
- 1 2 3 4 Wikispecies: Erotylidae. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Chûjô, Michio & Chûjô, Michitaka (1988): A catalog of the Erotylidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) from the old world (excl. the Ethiopian region) I. Esakia 26: 139-185. PDF fulltext.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chûjô, Michio & Chûjô, Michitaka (1989): A catalog of the Erotylidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) from the old world (excl. the Ethiopian region) II. Esakia 28: 75-96. PDF fulltext.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Leschen, Richard A.B. & Węgrzynowicz, Piotr (1998): Generic catalogue and taxonomic status of Languriidae (Cucujoidea). Ann.Zool. 48(3/4): 221-243. PDF fulltext
- 1 2 3 4 Sen Gupta, T. (1968): Review of the genera of the tribe Loberini (Coleoptera: Languriidae). Breviora 303: 1-27. Fulltext
- 1 2 Deelder, C.L. (1942): Revision of the Erotylidae (Coleoptera) of the Leiden Museum. Zool. Meded. 24(3): 49-115. Fulltext
- 1 2 Skelley, Paul E. (1998): A Catalogue of the Crotch Collection of Erotylidae (Coleoptera). Ann. Zool. 48(1/2): 1-44. PDF fulltext
Further reading
[edit source]- Leschen, Richard A B (2003). Erotylidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cucujoidea): phylogeny and review (Part 1). Fauna of New Zealand. Vol. 47. Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand. pp. 108 pp. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.47. ISBN 978-0-478-09350-6.
- J. A. Robertson, J. V. McHugh & M. F. Whiting (2004). "A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the pleasing fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae): evolution of colour patterns, gregariousness and mycophagy". Systematic Entomology. 29 (2): 173–187. Bibcode:2004SysEn..29..173R. doi:10.1111/j.0307-6970.2004.00242.x. S2CID 49331843.
- T. Sen Gupta & R. A. Crowson (1971). "A review of the classification of the family Languriidae (Coleoptera: Clavicornia) and the place of Languriidae in the natural system of Clavicornia". Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India. 15 (2): 1–42.
- P. Węgrzynowicz (2002). "Morphology, phylogeny and classification of the family Erotylidae based on adult characters (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea)" (PDF). Genus. 13 (4): 435–504. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
External links
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