Lepicerus
Lepicerus bufo, in preparation
Lepiceridae is a family of beetles within the suborder Myxophaga. The family consists of only three extant species that are attributed to the genus Lepicerus, a fourth type, Haplochelus georissoides that was originally assigned to its own family Haplochelidae, is known fossil.
Features
The beetles have a body length of 1.5 to 2 millimeters and all are similar in appearance very much. Your short and broad body has more or less parallel sides and is heavily sclerotized. The wing covers ( elytra ) are strongly point-like structured and grooved. Often the body is covered with sand. The head is quite large in proportion to body. The very short probes have four to seven members, where the last is cone-shaped and cut off at the top. The mouthparts are almost completely hidden by the movable labrum, the lateral parts of the face plate ( clypeus ) and the large submental plate. The mandibles are not visible because they are located completely within the präoralen chamber. The compound eyes are very large and are easily visible. The pronotum is almost twice as wide as long. It is sharp-edged front, at the rear end slightly narrower than the front and has side deep indentations. In the center of the front edge is expanded and so obscured the rear, central part of the head capsule. The Epipleuron the elytra sinuate is dorsoventral. The abdomen has six visible sternites (II to VII ). The second sternite has between the hips ( coxae ) of the rear legs a wide midsection. The third sternite is wider than the other and carries an inclined groove. The seventh sternite bears a distinct hump in the middle. The elytra are much broader than the pronotum and have well Humeralwinkel. Each wing covers, in addition to the numerous sclerotized tubercles three longitudinal grooves. The rails ( tibiae ) are slender and have short Apikalsporne. The tarsi consist of only one member. They each have a short claw.
Occurrence and life
All species are neotropisch common and come from Mexico to Venezuela and Ecuador before. They found the beetles at altitudes 128-1427 m. The fossil species Haplochelus georissoides is known in Burmese amber. Unlike most other types of Myxophaga that have a hygrophilere life, you will find the types of Lepiceridae of moist riverbanks ( Lepicerus inaequalis) on dry cypress forests ( Lepicerus bufo ) to dry in banana plantations ( Pichilingue Lepicerus ). Most finds are, however, documented in humid habitats. There you can find them on filamentous algae, aquatic plants and grasses, such as the rough Hornwort ( Ceratophyllum demersum ). They are associated with semi -aquatic living beetles as Georissus minor, Paracymus confusus and Anacaena debilis, or rove beetles of the genera Homaeotersus, Osorius, Diochus, Neobisnius, Xantholinus, Stenus and Coproporus.
There were only found few imagos. The larvae of all species are so far unknown, but suspected that a previously undescribed, found larvae of the family can be attributed.
Taxonomy and systematics
The family in 1882 was described by Sharp based on the genus Cyathocerus named Cyathoceridae who did not know that Motschulsky in 1855 described the group under the name Lepicerus. The genus was assigned to the bark beetles ( Scolytidae ) and Georyssidae over the history of research. She is probably the Hydroscaphidae and Torridincolidae in a sister relationship. The following species are known so far:
- Lepicerus bufo
- Lepicerus inaequalis
- Lepicerus Pichilingue
- Haplochelus georissoides †