Coccinelloidea
Coccinelloidea
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Coccinelloidea
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Coccinelloidea: /kɒksɨˌnɛlɔɪˈdiːə/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Summary
Coccinelloidea is a diverse superfamily of beetles in the order Coleoptera, formerly grouped within the superfamily Cucujoidea, comprising more than 10,000 species, with more than 6000 species classified as lady beetles in Coccinellidae.
Physical Characteristics
Adults with tarsal formula reduced (4-4-4 or 3-3-3), hind coxae separated by more than 1/3 their width, intercoxal process of abdominal ventrite 1 usually broadly rounded or truncate, hindwings with reduced anal veins and lacking a closed radial cell; larval Coccinelloidea have a unisetose pretarsal claw, annular spiracles, and the sensory appendage of the second antennal segment usually as long as the third segment.
Identification Tips
Look for the reduced tarsal segments and the unique hindwing features that distinguish them from other beetle superfamilies.
Evolution
The family constituency of Coccinelloidea has altered significantly, evolving in classification from as few as four or five recognized families in 1970 to 15 by 2015.
Similar Taxa
Tags
- Beetles
- Coleoptera
- Coccinelloidea
- Lady Beetles
- Insects