British insects: the families of Coleoptera
British insects: the families of Coleoptera |
|
~Endomychidae-Merophysiinae.
General appearance. 1–1.7 mm long. Body length/maximum body width 1.4–2.5. Elytral length/pronotal length 1.9–2.65. 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; conspicuously waisted; brown or yellowish. Upper surfaces of body glabrous or subglabrous, or non-glabrous; not bristly; with neither scales nor scale-like setae.
Detailed morphology. Eyes strongly protuberant, or not strongly protuberant; without bristles; coarsely facetted. Antennae short; 11 segmented. Antennal scape not swollen. Antennae clubbed (the club elongate). Antennal insertions visible from above, or hidden from above. Pronotal length/maximum pronotal width 0.4–1.05. Prothorax without notopleural sutures. Metaventrite without a transverse groove. Fore coxal cavites closed behind. Hind coxae not shaped posteriorly to receive the femur. Tarsal segmentation formula 3, 3, 3. The tarsi without bilobed segments; without ‘hidden’ segments. Front tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented. Mid-leg tarsi 3-segmented; 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. Elytral length/maximum width across the elytra 1–1.75. Elytra covering most to all of the abdomen; exposing no more than part of the terminal tergite; hard; glossy; smooth; without striae (at least, with a well marked sutural stria only). Scutellary striole absent. Elytra glabrous. Wings well developed, or absent or much reduced; fringed with long hairs on the hind margin, or not fringed. Exposed abdominal sternites 5–6; all articulated and movable. Abdominal segment 8 apparently without functional spiracles.
Adult habitat, ecology. Not predacious; mycetophagous (on moulds); in decaying plant material and associated with fungi.
Larvae. Larvae not predacious; mycetophagous (on moulds); in decaying plant material and in fungi.
Classification. Suborder Polyphaga; Superfamily Cucujoidea.
Worldwide and British representation. Genera 12. 3 species in Britain; genera in Britain 1; Holoparamecus Curtis.
Illustrations. • Holoparamecus depressus Curtis: B. Ent. 614. • Holoparamecus depressus Curtis: B. Ent. 614, legend+text. • Holoparamecus depressus Curtis: B. Ent. 614, text cont.. • Holoparamecus caularum, with unrelated taxa: Fowler Suppl. 13, 1913. • Fowler Suppl. 13, 1913: original legend.. • Holoparamecus singularis (Janson 132). • Biphyllus (from Joy).
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’.
