British Insects: the Families of Coleoptera
British Insects: the Families of Coleoptera |
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Latridiidae, Corticariidae.
General appearance. 1–3 mm long. Body length/maximum body width 1.45–2.6. Elytral length/pronotal length 2.2–4.9. 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 to elongate; conspicuously necked; conspicuously waisted. Upper surfaces of body glabrous or subglabrous, or non-glabrous; exhibiting stiff, erect, dark bristles, or not bristly; with neither scales nor scale-like setae.
Detailed morphology. Eyes strongly protuberant, or not strongly protuberant; without bristles. Antennae short; 10–11 segmented. Antennal scape not swollen. Antennae clubbed (sometimes weakly). Antennal clubs 2 segmented, or 3 segmented. Antennal insertions visible from above, or hidden from above. Mandibular prosthecae well developed.
Prothorax shorter than wide. Pronotal length/maximum pronotal width 0.45–1.3. Prothorax at its widest markedly narrower than the adjoining part of the abdomen (often sculptured). Prothorax without notopleural sutures. Metaventrite without a transverse groove. Fore coxal cavites open behind. The tarsi without bilobed segments; without ‘hidden’ segments. Mid-leg tarsi 3-segmented; trimerous. Claws of the mid-leg tarsi not appendaged. Front tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented. Hind tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented. Tarsal claws simple, or one-toothed or bifid. Elytral length/maximum width across the elytra 1–2.2. Elytra covering most of the abdomen; exposing no more than part of the terminal tergite; rough (or wrinkled), or smooth. Scutellary striole absent. Elytra non-glabrous, or glabrous. Wings well developed, or absent or much reduced; fringed with long hairs on the hind margin.
Visible abdominal sternites 5, or 6; immovably joined 0. Abdominal segment 8 apparently without functional spiracles.
Habitat, ecology. Not predacious; mycetophagous (feeding on moulds and mycetozoa, and on larger fungi); in decaying plant material, in rotting wood, under bark, associated with fungi, and on shed fur or feathers (on damp plaster in houses; sometimes in nests of insects).
General comments. Elytra often coarsely punctured or ribbed.
Larvae. Larvae not predacious; mycetophagous (feeding on moulds and mycetozoa, and on larger fungi); in decaying plant material, in rotting wood, in or under bark, in fungi, and in shed fur or feathers (cf. the adults).
Classification. Suborder Polyphaga; Superfamily Cucujoidea.
British representation. Genera 13; Adistemia, Aridius, Cartodere, Corticaria, Corticarina, Cortinicara, Dienerella, Enicmus, Holoparamecus, Lathridius, Lithostignus, Melanophthalma, Stephostethus, Thes. 61 species; e.g., Dienerella elongata (Elongated Latridius); Holoparamecus singularis.
Illustrations. • Dienerella elongata (Curtis) (Elongated Latridius: B. Ent. 311). • Dienerella elongata (details, B. Ent. 311). • Dienerella elongata: B. Ent. 311, legend+text. • Dienerella elongata: B. Ent. 311, text cont.. • Aridius, Cartodere, Corticaria, Corticarina, Enicmus, Lathridius and Melanophthalma, with Cucujidae: Fowler 3, 92 (1889). • Fowler 3, 92 (1889): original legend.. • Lathridius lardarius (with Rhizophagidae, Trogossitidae, Merophysiidae, etc.): Fowler 3, 91 (1889). • Fowler 3, 91 (1889): original legend.. • Corticaria (3 spp.), Melanophthalma distinguenda and Thes bergrothi, with unrelated taxa: Fowler Suppl. 13, 1913. • Fowler Suppl. 13, 1913: original legend..
To view illustrations with legends giving names in current use, 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, as well as source references and other relevant material.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Coleoptera. Version: 16th July 2011. http://delta-intkey.com’.
