Colydiidae

Definition

A historically recognized family of beetles, now treated as the subfamily Colydiinae within Zopheridae. Members are commonly called cylindrical bark beetles and constitute the majority of diversity in the expanded family Zopheridae, with approximately 140 genera worldwide. The group shows strong regional variation in diversity, with about 35 genera in the Australian region but only 20 genera in Europe, many species-poor.

Etymology

Example

Historically classified as Colydiidae, cylindrical bark beetles such as those in the genus Colydium are now placed in Zopheridae based on phylogenetic studies revealing their nested position within that family.

Synonyms

• Colydiinae (current rank)

Related Terms

• Zopheridae
• Colydiinae
• cylindrical bark beetle
• Tenebrionoidea
• bark beetle

Usage Notes

Primarily encountered in older literature and collections where the family rank was standard; modern taxonomic works use Colydiinae. The group is not closely related to true bark beetles (Scolytinae, Curculionidae) despite similar habits and common name overlap. The Australian fauna is notably more diverse than the European fauna.