British insects: the families of Coleoptera
British insects: the families of Coleoptera |
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~Cerylidae; = Cerylidae; including Aculagnathidae, Dolosidae, Euxestidae, Murmidiidae.
Minute Bark Beetles.
General appearance. 1.3–2.5 mm long. Body length/maximum body width 1.25–2.8. Elytral length/pronotal length 1.5–4. Base of prothorax not or scarcely narrower than the combined elytral bases, or distinctly narrower than the combined elytral bases. Greatest prothoracic width not narrower or only slightly narrower than the greatest elytral width, or distinctly narrower than greatest elytral width. Beetles elongate-oval; not necked; somewhat waisted; dark reddish- or yellowish-brown. Upper surfaces of body glabrous or subglabrous, or non-glabrous; not bristly; exhibiting scales or scale-like setae, or with neither scales nor scale-like setae.
Detailed morphology. Eyes strongly protuberant, or not strongly protuberant; bristly, or without bristles; coarsely facetted. Antennae short; 6–11 segmented. Antennal scape swollen. Antennae clubbed. Antennal clubs not lamellate; 1 segmented, or 3 segmented (spherical, with two small basal segments and a large terminal one); spherical, comprising two small basal segments and a large terminal one. Antennal insertions visible from above. Prothorax shorter than wide. Pronotal length/maximum pronotal width 0.35–1.1. Prothorax at its widest not markedly narrower than the adjoining part of the abdomen. Prothorax without notopleural sutures. Metaventrite without a transverse groove. Fore coxal cavites open behind. Hind coxae not shaped posteriorly to receive the femur. Tarsal segmentation formula 4, 4, 4, or 3, 3, 3. The tarsi without bilobed segments; without ‘hidden’ segments. Front tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented, or 4-segmented. Mid-leg tarsi 3-segmented, or 4-segmented; tetramerous, or trimerous. The claws of the mid-leg tarsi not appendaged. The claws of the mid-leg tarsi simple. Hind tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented, or 4-segmented. Elytral length/maximum width across the elytra 0.9–1.92. Elytra exposing no more than part of the terminal tergite; glossy; smooth; punctate- striate. Scutellary striole absent. Wings well developed, or absent or much reduced; fringed with long hairs on the hind margin, or not fringed. Exposed abdominal sternites 5; all articulated and movable. Abdominal segment 8 apparently without functional spiracles.
Adult habitat, ecology. Predacious, or not predacious (?); in decaying plant material and under bark.
Larvae. Larvae predacious, or not predacious (?); in decaying plant material and in or under bark.
Classification. Suborder Polyphaga; Superfamily Cucujoidea.
Worldwide and British representation. About 450 species worldwide; genera about 50 (mostly tropical/subtropical). 6 species in Britain; genera in Britain 3; Anommatus, Cerylon, Murmidius.
General comments. Tiny, smooth, shiny, hairless beetles, only lightly punctured..
Illustrations. • Cerylon fagi, C. ferrugineum, C. histeroides and Murmidius ovalis (with Langelandia and Histeridae): Fowler 3, 85 (1889). • Fowler 3, 85 (1889): original legend.. • Anommatus duodecimstriatus (with Rhizophagidae, Trogossitidae, etc.): Fowler 3, 91 (1889). • Fowler 3, 91 (1889): original legend.. • Cerylon fagi.
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Coleoptera. Version: 2nd January 2012. http://delta-intkey.com’.
