Dascillidae

Guérin-Méneville, 1843

Soft-bodied Plant Beetles

Genus Guides

2

Dascillidae is a of soft-bodied beetles within the superfamily Dascilloidea, comprising approximately 100 extant in 11 with a worldwide distribution. The family is divided into two poorly defined : the free-living Dascillinae and the morphologically modified Karumiinae, some of which are associated with subterranean termites. are typically found on grass during spring, while larvae inhabit moist soil or occur under rocks.

Anorus piceus by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.Dascillus davidsoni by (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie. Used under a CC-BY license.Dascillus davidsoni by Janna Layton. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Dascillidae: //dæˈsɪlɪdiː//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Dascillidae can be distinguished from related by their soft-bodied, elongate form with dense . Karumiinae are recognized by their highly modified, soft-bodied . Larvae exhibit little morphological variation across the family and share eight apparently apomorphic characters, including a -like body shape adapted for soil-dwelling.

Images

Habitat

are found on grass during springtime. Larvae occur in moist soil or under rocks. Dascillinae inhabit mostly forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Australia.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution. Dascillinae occur in forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. Specific records include Europe, North America, Australia, Chile, and various regions of China (Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou).

Seasonality

are active during spring.

Diet

Larvae are thought to feed on roots or decaying plant matter.

Host Associations

Life Cycle

Larvae are soil-dwelling, occurring in moist soil or under rocks. Pupae have been described for at least Dascillus davidsoni.

Similar Taxa

  • RhipiceridaeForms the superfamily Dascilloidea with Dascillidae, but widely accepted sister-group relationship is not supported by larval due to highly modified ectoparasitic larvae of Rhipiceridae.
  • ScarabaeoideaUnlikely to be closely related despite previous hypotheses; similarities based mainly on -dependent convergences of soil-dwelling larvae (-like body shape, reduced stemmata) or possible symplesiomorphies.
  • EulichadidaeTen similarities found between Dascillidae and Eulichadidae larvae, some possibly representing synapomorphies of these two groups within Dryopoidea.

More Details

Subfamilies

The is divided into two poorly defined : Karumiinae and Dascillinae. Karumiinae exhibit various morphological modifications and some are associated with subterranean termites, while Dascillinae are free-living.

Fossil Record

The includes several fossil : Baltodascillus (Baltic Amber, Eocene), Cretodascillus (Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous), Lyprodascillus (Shanwang, China, Miocene, with uncertain familial attribution), and Parelateriformius (Daohugou Beds, China, Middle–Late Jurassic).

Sources and further reading