British insects: the families of Coleoptera
British insects: the families of Coleoptera |
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Hairy Fungus-beetles.
General appearance. 1.1–6 mm long. Body length/maximum body width 1.3–3. Elytral length/pronotal length 2.32–4. 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 broadly oval to elongate; not necked; not waisted to somewhat waisted; brown or dark brown, sometimes with orange markings; exhibiting bright ‘warning colours’, or without ‘warning colouration’. Upper surfaces of body glabrous or subglabrous, or non-glabrous; not bristly; with neither scales nor scale-like setae.
Detailed morphology. Eyes strongly protuberant; bristly, or without bristles; coarsely facetted. Antennae short; 11 segmented. Antennal scape swollen, or not swollen (?). Antennae gradually expanding towards the apex to clubbed. 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 0.38–0.91. 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 closed behind. Hind coxae not shaped posteriorly to receive the femur. Tarsal segmentation formula 4, 4, 4. The tarsi without bilobed segments; without ‘hidden’ segments (but the first and fourth segments longer than the second and third). Front tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi, or with one segment fewer than the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented (sometimes, in males), 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, or one-toothed or bifid. Hind tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 3-segmented, or 4-segmented. Elytral length/maximum width across the elytra 1.16–1.97. Elytra exposing no more than part of the terminal tergite; smooth; finely punctate- striate. Scutellary striole present, or absent. Elytra non-glabrous (with semi-erect pubescence); with epipleura. Elytral epipleura falling short of the elytral tips. Wings well developed, or absent or much reduced; fringed with long hairs on the hind margin. Abdominal tergites 9. Exposed abdominal sternites 5; all articulated and movable. Abdominal segment 8 apparently without functional spiracles.
Adult habitat, ecology. Land-dwellers; not predacious; mycetophagous; in decaying plant material, in rotting wood, associated with fungi, and in stored plant products (in mouldy materials).
Larvae. Larvae not predacious; mycetophagous; in decaying plant material, in rotting wood, in fungi, and in stored plant products (in mouldy materials). The larvae subcylindrical with well developed legs, the exserted head with 4 to 6 pairs of ocelli, the abdomen 9-segmented.
Classification. Suborder Polyphaga; Infraorder Cucujiformia; Superfamily Tenebrionoidea.
Worldwide and British representation. About 200 species worldwide; genera 18. 12 species in Britain; genera in Britain 5; Litargus, Mycetophagus, Pseudotriphyllus, Triphyllus, Typhaea. E.g., Mycetophagus piceus (Orange-spotted Fungus-eater); Mycetophagus multipunctatus; Typhaea stercorea.
General comments. Very small, broadly ovate, brown or dark brown beetles with semi-erect pubescence.
Illustrations. • Mycetophagus piceus (Orange-spotted Fungus-eater: B. Ent. 156). • Mycetaphagus piceus: B. Ent. 156, legend+text. • Mycetaphagus piceus: B. Ent. 156, text cont.. • Mycetaphagus piceus (Janson 97). • Mycetophagus multipunctatus (Rye & Fowler VII2). • Typhaea stercorea: B. Ent. 702. • Typhaea stercorea: B. Ent. 702, legend+text. • Typhaea stercorea: B. Ent. 702, text cont.. • Litargus connexus, Mycetophagus (6 spp.), Triphyllus bicolor (with Dermestidae): Fowler 3, 96 (1889). • Fowler 3, 96 (1889): original legend.. • Typhaea stercorea, with Cryptophagidae and Scaphidiidae: Fowler 3, 95 (1889). • Fowler 3, 95 (1889): original legend.. • Typhaea stercorea (Janson 98).
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’.
