Scraptiidae

Definition

A family of tenebrionoid beetles (order Coleoptera) comprising approximately 400 species in 30 genera, commonly known as false flower beetles. Adults frequent flowers and foliage, often occurring in aggregations, while larvae develop under bark of dead wood. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution with fossil record extending to the Eocene.

Etymology

Example

Adult Scraptiidae such as those in the genus Scraptia are frequently collected by beating flowering vegetation, whereas their larvae require rearing from beneath bark of decaying hardwoods.

Synonyms

• False flower beetles

Related Terms

• Tenebrionoidea
• Coleoptera
• saproxylic
• flower-visiting beetles
• Anaspis

Usage Notes

The common name 'false flower beetles' distinguishes this family from the true flower beetles (family Melyridae). Scraptiidae are sometimes overlooked in surveys due to their small size and superficial resemblance to other small coleopterans found on blossoms. The family was established by Mulsant in 1856.