Pill Beetles
Byrrhidae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Byrrhoidea
- Family: Byrrhidae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Byrrhidae: //ˈbɪrɪdiː//
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Images
Summary
Byrrhidae, the pill beetles, is a family of beetles in the superfamily Byrrhoidea. There are around 500 extant species in 40 genera, with a focus on feeding habits related to moss and similar damp habitats.
Habitat
They are generally found in damp habitats within cooler-high latitude regions of both hemispheres. Mossy habitats in general, sandy shorelines, beneath logs and stones, among grass roots.
Distribution
Most of Canada and the northern half of the US; mostly boreal and montane. North American taxa are restricted to the west. They are also found in Eurasia and the tropics.
Diet
Most byrrhids feed on moss, lichens, algae, and occasionally on liverworts and grass roots.
Evolution
The oldest undoubted record of the family is Lidryops from the earliest Late Cretaceous Charentese amber of France, with other less certain records going back to the Middle Jurassic.
Similar Taxa
Tags
- Byrrhidae
- Pill Beetles
- Moss Beetles
- Coleoptera