Narrow-waisted bark beetles

Definition

A vernacular name for the beetle family Salpingidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea), referring to the pronounced constriction between the pronotum and elytra that gives these beetles their characteristic wasp-waisted or narrow-waisted appearance. Members are typically small, elongate beetles found under bark, in decaying wood, or in fungal fruiting bodies; they are often predators or scavengers in these habitats.

Etymology

From the conspicuously constricted waist (petiolate pronotal-elytral junction) resembling that of many wasps, combined with their typical habitat under bark.

Example

Vestigia serrulata, a narrow-waisted bark beetle in western North America, is frequently collected from the galleries of wood-boring beetles where it likely preys on larvae or scavenges.

Synonyms

• Salpingidae

Related Terms

• Salpingidae
• bark beetle
• Tenebrionoidea
• Colydiinae
• pronotum
• Elytra
• saproxylic

Usage Notes

Despite the common name, narrow-waisted bark beetles are not true bark beetles (family Curculionidae: Scolytinae), which are weevils with a different body plan and ecology. The narrow waist is a diagnostic feature distinguishing Salpingidae from similar darkling beetle relatives. The family is small and relatively poorly studied, with many species undescribed.