Sap beetle
Picnic beetles ( Glischrochilus quadrisignatus )
The beetles ( Nitidulidae ) are a family of beetles ( Coleoptera). They are found worldwide and are known with about 4500 species in 351 genera. In Europe they are found with almost 250 species and subspecies, in Central Europe about 140 to 150 species are known.
Features
The beetles are an average of two to three millimeters body length is very small, but some species can grow up to six millimeters long. The body shapes of various types or sub-families vary greatly. Some have an oval, curved body, others are elongated. They are often light to dark brown, black or black-brown shiny. The last two to three antennal segments are thickened club-shaped.
Way of life
Both the larvae and the imagoes colonize a wide range of different habitats, the variety of their ways of life. Frequently one finds the larvae together with the adult animals, or they inhabit at least the same substrate. The animals feed mainly on surfaces, but there are also those who eat in fermenting liquids (some Nitidulinae and Cryptarchinae ), in fleshy fungi ( many Nitidulinae ) or rarely in leaves minierend ( genera Anister, Oxystrongylus and Xenostrongylus. The adult beetles dig in generally not, although many are associated with wood and there, however probably live under bark or in existing tunnels of wood-boring insects. those species that live in underground growing mushrooms, dig presumably active. the vast number of beetle feeds on macro - or microscopic fungi that grow on decaying plant material or leaf tissue. eaten is at most of the major groups of fungi. There are types that polyphagous on many different species eat, while others specialize in certain species. species on belly fungi ( Gasteromycetes ) have specialized such as the genera Lycoperdina or Caenocara are unusual for beetles. Many species, such as certain types of Cryptarchinae, Cillaeinae, Nitidulinae and Calonecrinae take on emerging also from wounds sap. Characterized they are responsible for the transmission of fungal infections of plants, since the contained yeast and other fungi are not only added fermenting, but also transmitted to other plants. The beetles are also important for the ecology of the earth. In particular, species of the genus Stelidota are often found in numerous forest floor.
From at least three genera also feeding on carrion is known. Species of the genera nitidula and Omosita can also be found on already heavily decayed and desiccated remains, which is why they are in forensics, but also in the ecology of importance. In the subfamily Meligethinae, in some types of Cillaeinae and Epuraeinae, as well as some Nitidulinae the animals eat living plant material, in particular pollen and flowers. Some species that live on plants feed on rust fungi, smut fungi, yeasts and other fungi growing on plant surfaces. There are also species that fressen.Insbesondere directly to the plants and their fruits, the genus Carpophilus one of the fruit -eaters and occurs in agriculture and also in camps as a pest. The very well-researched genre Meligethes eats, for example, to family (Brassicaceae ). Several species, especially those of the genus Macro stole act as pollinators of palm trees.
The Cybocephalinae and Cychramptodes are predators of plant lice. On scale insects specialized species could play a role in the biological control play. The type Amphicrossus japonicus feeding on mosquito larvae is documented in flooded bamboo stumps. The species is so far the only, are detected in the beetles in an aquatic habitat. The beetles can transport by cilia on the ventral side air into the water and breathe deeply. There are also several species of the larvae of bark beetles ( Scolytinae ) eat. Whether purely predatory, or merely optional is not yet explored. There are a few species that live in the nests of social insects, such as ants, termites and honey bees.
The larvae of beetles hatch in one to seven days from their eggs. The larvae develop normally within one to three weeks and live through it two or three stages. The pupal period lasts multivoltinen species five to seven days, for those that hibernate, it takes several months. Pupation often takes place in the ground.
Occurrence
The ten subfamilies with the exception of Maynipeplinae, the widespread only in Africa and Calonecrinae that only occur in Southeast Asia. Six genera are distributed with the exception of New Zealand, world, three genera, Carpophilus, Cryptarcha and Epuraea also occur there. The three species richest genres, Carpophilus, Epuraea and Meligethes are widespread in the Holarctic. The latter species has a wider distribution area in South Africa. In Hawaii, 13 endemic genera are known. Only Brachypeplus zirkumtropisch is widespread.
Taxonomy and systematics
The beetles are among the most basal families of Cucujoidea and among the families within this group whose taxonomy is within the family so far poorly explored. The is mainly due to the wide variety of body shapes and the subtle variations of the feature covered by the family subtaxa. The taxonomic status of groups at the edge of the relationship of the beetle was historically controversial and many taxa that are now seen outside the family, were originally assigned by various authors of the family.
The following autapomorphies justified by Leschen et al. ( 2005), the monophyly of the family: On vertex a line is formed, the ubantennalen pits are expanded under or behind the FAxettenaugen, the front part of Prosternums is shorter than the Prosternalfortsatz, the apex of the appendage has lateral extensions, the indentations of the front hips sin din generally outwardly closed ( at the Kateretidae and only some Nitidulidae open), the bases of the tegmen are pulled forward, the paramere are fused into a single part and also grown together with the Phallobasis, the mouthparts of the larvae are strongly withdrawn, thorns missing at hypostoma and on the Pretarsen two setae are formed. The monophyly of the family could also be to doubt, as the subfamily Cybocephalinae has many features that it does not share with the other subfamilies and the features that it shares with the Cyllodini and other similar Nitidulidae have possibly developed convergent.
The following 10 subfamilies are attributed to the family:
- Carpophilinae 6 genera, ~ 500 species, Holarctic
- Amphicrossinae 1 genera, 41 species, Holarctic
- Epuraeinae 18 genera, ~ 350 species, Holarctic
- Calonecrinae 1 genus, 3 species, Southeast Asia
- Maynipeplinae monotypic, Africa
- Nitidulinae 97 genera, ~ 1000 species, tropics
- Meligethinae 14 genera, ~ 500 species, Holarctic
- Cillaeinae 37 genera, ~ 450 species, tropical
- Cryptarchinae 22 genera, ~ 300 species worldwide
- Cybocephalinae 9 genera, ~ 100 species worldwide
Types (selection)
- Gelbfleckiger beetle ( Carpophilus hemipterus )
- Vierfleckiger pine beetle ( Glischrochilus quadripunctatus )
- Picnic beetles ( Glischrochilus quadrisignatus )
- Rust Red pine beetle ( Pityophagus ferrugineus )
- Flat beetle ( Epuraea depressa )
- Pollen beetles ( Meligethes aeneus )
- Carrion beetles ( Omosita colon )