Mycetaeidae
Jacquelin du Val, 1857
Genus Guides
1Mycetaeidae is a small of beetles in the superfamily Coccinelloidea, established as distinct from Endomychidae based on morphological and molecular evidence. The family contains three : Agaricophilus (one , Europe), Mycetaea (two species, North America, Europe, South Africa, and Canary Islands), and Afromycetaea (seven species, sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar). The family is confirmed as monophyletic and sister to Cerasommatidiidae. Members of the genus Mycetaea are known to be mycophagous, feeding on molds.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Mycetaeidae: /mɪˌsiːˈtiːɪˌdeɪ/
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Identification
Mycetaeidae can be distinguished from related in Coccinelloidea by a combination of morphological features detailed in diagnostic keys; the three are morphologically divergent from each other. Larval has been described and provides additional diagnostic characters. Afromycetaea gen. nov. was established based on distinct morphological and molecular characteristics separating African from Mycetaea.
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Distribution
Agaricophilus is restricted to Europe. Genus Mycetaea occurs in North America, Europe, South Africa, and the Canary Islands (Tenerife). Genus Afromycetaea is distributed in the Republic of South Africa and Madagascar.
Diet
Members of the Mycetaea are mycophagous, feeding on molds. The diet of Agaricophilus and Afromycetaea has not been documented.
Similar Taxa
- EndomychidaeMycetaeidae was formerly included within Endomychidae; molecular and morphological analyses support their separation as distinct within Coccinelloidea.
- CerasommatidiidaeSister to Mycetaeidae based on phylogenetic analyses of molecular and morphological data; shares superfamily Coccinelloidea.
More Details
Taxonomic history
Mycetaeidae was long treated as part of Endomychidae before being recognized as a distinct . The 2021 revision established the new Afromycetaea and described seven new , revealing substantially greater diversity than previously recognized. Two nominal species, Agaricophilus dieneri and Mycetaea ovulum, are treated as incertae sedis due to unavailability of .
Phylogenetic position
Analyses of eight , , and combined datasets confirm Mycetaeidae as monophyletic and sister to Cerasommatidiidae within Coccinelloidea.