Ironclad Beetles

Zopheridae

Classification

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Zopheridae: /zoʊˈfɛrɪdiː/

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

Images

Zopherus concolor variation sjh by No machine-readable author provided. Kugamazog~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims).. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.5 license.
Zopherus nodulosus nodulosus variation sjh by No machine-readable author provided. Kugamazog~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims).. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.5 license.
Pycnomerus (Dechomus) sulcicollis (Germar, 1824) (15307804469) by Udo Schmidt from Deutschland. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.
Phloeodes plicatus by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Texas Ironclad Beetle (Zopheridae, Zopherus nodulosus haldemani) (26535942785) by Insects Unlocked . Used under a CC0 license.
Dechomus sulcicollis Jacobson by Georgiy Jacobson. Used under a Public domain license.

Summary

Zopheridae is a family of beetles belonging to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, containing over 1700 species and 190 genera worldwide. Many members feed on rotting wood or associated fungi, with some being predatory.

Habitat

Fungus-lined galleries of wood-boring beetles.

Distribution

Worldwide, most diverse in the Neotropics and Australasia, present throughout North America except northernmost parts.

Diet

Many feed on rotting wood or fungus associated with rotting wood; some Colydiinae are predatory or feed on living plant tissue such as roots, stems, flower stalks, and fruit.

Evolution

The family has grown considerably in recent years as Monommatidae and Colydiidae were included within its circumscription.

Similar Taxa

Tags

  • Zopheridae
  • Ironclad Beetles
  • Coleoptera
  • Tenebrionoidea