Orthocis

Casey, 1898

tree-fungus beetles

Species Guides

Orthocis punctatus(Pitted Fungus Beetle)
Orthocis transversatus(Transverse-banded Ciid)

Orthocis is a of minute tree-fungus beetles in the Ciidae, established by Casey in 1898. The genus comprises 27 described distributed across the Holarctic region. These beetles are associated with fungal growth on wood, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented for most species.

Orthocis transversatus by (c) Brandon Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Brandon Johnson. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Orthocis: //ˈɔr.θoʊ.sɪs//

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

Images

Habitat

Associated with tree fungi, particularly on decaying wood. Specific microhabitat requirements vary by and are not well documented.

Distribution

Holarctic distribution; recorded from Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), North America (United States, including Vermont), and Kazakhstan. -level distributions vary; Orthocis lucasi has been recorded in Kazakhstan.

Host Associations

Beauveria bassiana - fungus; has been observed parasitizing Orthocis lucasi in Kazakhstan

Similar Taxa

EnnearthronBoth are Ciidae with similar minute body size and association with tree fungi; distinguished by morphological characters in the provided identification key for Kazakhstan fauna
SulcacisBoth are Ciidae with similar ; distinguished by morphological characters in the provided identification key for Kazakhstan fauna
OctotemnusBoth are Ciidae with similar ; distinguished by morphological characters in the provided identification key for Kazakhstan fauna

More Details

Kazakhstan fauna

First recorded from Kazakhstan with Orthocis lucasi (Abeille de Perrin, 1874) as a new country record. A key to Orthocis from Kazakhstan is provided in Leschen & Kurbatova (2026).