Thorictinae
- Thorictini
- Thaumaphrastini
The ants smooth beetle ( Thorictinae ) are a subfamily of skin beetles ( Dermetidae ), of which only one genus, Thorictus, with 75 species in the Mediterranean is native to Europe.
Most ants smooth beetles live in Ameisenbauten and are also fed by the ants ( ants guest ); they are myrmecophil. They often climb the ants and can be carried around by them.
Just the way Thorictus grandi collis is also found in eastern Central Europe, north to Hungary and Slovakia. Thorictus grandi collis is 1.8 to 2.2 millimeters long and is colored reddish brown. The body of the beetle is bulged relatively broad and strong, the 11- membered antennas have a button-shaped sensor lobe ( apparently eingliedrig, in fact, three members ). Thorictus grandi collis shows a particular Besänftigungsverhalten against ants, which does not know of other species (eg Thorictus foreli ). On the back like, the beetle is immobile and bares his thoracic side - lower trichomes. It allows the ants even to touch them and lick. Thorictus grandi collis not follow the scent trail of ants.
The European introduced species ( Neobiont ) Thorictodes heydeni probably comes from Southeast Asia. Thorictodes are known in Asia (China ) and pests (especially rice) and are not myrmecophil.
System
The ants smooth beetles, depending on the author, as a subfamily ( Thorictinae ) or tribe ( Thorictini ), then, belongs to the subfamily Dermestinae. After an investigation of the Larvalmorphologie version appeared justified as a subfamily.
The subfamily Thorictinae is divided into two tribes: Thorictini and Thaumaphrastini.
- Thorictini: 3 myrmecophile genres Thorictus Thorictus beali
- Thorictus bifoveolatus
- Thorictus crinitus
- Thorictus foreli
- Thorictus grandi collis, Syn laticollis
- Thorictus kaznakovi, Hendeli Syn, Syn lebedewi, Syn babadjanidis
- Thorictus Queen Mirror
- Thorictus medvedevi
- Thorictus pamirensis
- Thorictodes Thorictodes heydeni ( Neozoe in Europe)