Bostrichidae

Most auger beetles have a downwardly directed head that cannot be seen from above, as it is hidden by the thorax. Exceptions occur in the powderpost beetle subfamily Lyctinae and the subfamily Psoinae, where the head is visible from above. Some species, such as Bostrychoplites cornutus, possess large and distinctive thoracic horns.

The family occupies diverse habitats. Many species are wood-borers in dead or declining wood of various tree species. Others are significant pests of stored grains and cereal products. Some species are associated with specific host plants; for example, the Australian genus Loranthophila is associated with mistletoe.

Bostrichidae has a global distribution. Species occur across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Specific distribution varies by species; for example, Bostrychoplites cornutus is native to parts of Africa and Arabia, while Prostephanus truncatus originated in Central America and Mexico but has been introduced to Africa.

Larvae of most species are xylophagous, feeding within dead wood. Some species have adapted to stored products; Rhyzopertha dominica and Prostephanus truncatus feed on stored grains, with the latter also adapted to dried cassava roots.

Wood-boring species contribute to decomposition of dead wood in forest ecosystems. Stored product species function as significant agricultural pests, with Prostephanus truncatus capable of destroying up to 40 percent of stored grain in three months and causing 52-74 percent losses in stored cassava in Africa.

Several species are major pests of stored agricultural commodities. Rhyzopertha dominica (lesser grain borer) and Prostephanus truncatus (larger grain borer) cause substantial economic losses in grain storage facilities globally. Control measures include inspection, sanitation, pheromone traps, insect-proof containers, and pesticides. Some species are intercepted in international trade, such as Bostrychoplites cornutus larvae in African wooden bowls imported to Europe.

• LyctinaeLyctinae is a subfamily within Bostrichidae, not a separate similar taxon. Members differ from other Bostrichidae in having a visible head from above rather than a downwardly directed head hidden by the thorax.
• CerambycidaeBoth families contain wood-boring beetles, but Cerambycidae (longhorned beetles) have extremely long antennae, often longer than the body, and larvae typically produce clean tunnels rather than frass-filled tunnels.
• BuprestidaeBoth families include wood-boring species, but Buprestidae (jewel beetles) larvae produce tunnels filled with fine sawdust-like frass and adults often have a more flattened, metallic appearance.

• Coleoptera
• wood-boring beetles
• stored product pests
• auger beetles
• powderpost beetles
• grain borers
• xylophagous
• forest fauna
• agricultural pests

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Christian Nansen: An Entomologist on the Move | Bug Squad
• The Silence of the Cicadas | Bug Squad
• Insecticide Netting Could Keep Beetles Out of Your Breakfast Cereal
• Larger Grain Borer: A Pesky Pest That Gets Peskier With Climate Change
• Calopterygidae | Beetles In The Bush
• Beetle Collecting 101: How to rear wood-boring beetles | Beetles In The Bush
• Lesser Grain Borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae)
• An investigation into application of azadirachtin as a grain protectant : biological and behavioural responses by Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Coleoptera: bostrichidae)
• Loranthophila, a new genus of Australian Lyctinae (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) associated with Mistletoe
• Evaluating the Long-Term Efficacy of Four Active Ingredients Against Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Stored Sorghum in the United States.