Shining Flower Beetles
Phalacridae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Cucujoidea
- Family: Phalacridae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Phalacridae: /fəˈlæsɹəˌdiː/
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Summary
The Phalacridae are a family of beetles commonly called the shining flower beetles, with approximately 638 species in 52 genera worldwide, notable for their association with composite flowers and their feeding on fungi.
Physical Characteristics
Oval-shaped, usually tan, and about 1-3 mm in length.
Identification Tips
Species identification often requires a study of male genitalia; keying to genus requires seeing hind tarsi and prosternal process.
Habitat
Often found in composite flowers.
Distribution
World-wide, most diverse in the Old World tropics; in North America, across the continent north to southern Canada.
Diet
Adults and larvae mostly feed on spores or hyphae of fungi, including ascomycetes, Claviceps (ergot), and smut/rust fungi. Some species, like Olibrus larvae, feed on fluid material within flower heads of Asteraceae, while adults are pollen feeders.
Ecosystem Role
They play a role in the decay process by feeding on fungi and potentially influencing plant pollination as some species feed on pollen.
Evolution
The oldest possible record of the family is from Spanish amber, dating to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous.
Tags
- beetles
- fungus feeders
- insecta
- coleoptera
- ecosystem