Colydiinae

Billberg, 1820

Cylindrical bark beetles

Tribe Guides

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Colydiinae is a large of beetles within Zopheridae, historically treated as the . The subfamily contains approximately 140 worldwide and represents the majority of diversity in the expanded family Zopheridae. Its taxonomic placement has been contentious, with phylogenetic analyses producing conflicting results regarding its relationship to Zopherinae and even its monophyly. The group has a fossil record extending to at least the Middle Eocene.

Synchita by no rights reserved, uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh. Used under a CC0 license.Megataphrus by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.Lasconotus intricatus by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Colydiinae: /kɒˈlaɪdiːˌiːniː/

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

Identification

are generally cylindrical in form, consistent with their . The lacks convincing morphological synapomorphies, making definitive identification based on external alone difficult. Delimitation from other Zopheridae lineages is usually straightforward, though the tribe Pycnomerini presents ongoing taxonomic uncertainty. Tribal-level identification requires examination of detailed morphological characters, with up to nine tribes recognized by some authors.

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Habitat

Members of the tribe Synchitini have been observed in rotting wood, under bark, and in leaf-litter . Information for other tribes is sparse.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution with approximately 140 . About 35 genera are known from the Australian region. Europe contains 20 genera, many with few . Western Palearctic species of the genus Colydium have documented distributions.

Diet

Feeding habits vary among lineages. Members of the tribe Synchitini are known to be mycophagous or detritivorous. Some colydiines feed on fungi; others are and consume small arthropods including bark beetles.

Similar Taxa

  • ZopherinaeSister group within Zopheridae; phylogenetic analyses remain inconclusive regarding precise relationship to Colydiinae
  • PycnomeriniSmall lineage of disputed placement, formerly considered an independent ; placement as Pycnomerinae, tribe within Colydiinae, or tribe within Zopherinae remains disputed

More Details

Taxonomic instability

The has been treated historically as within Tenebrionoidea. Current placement as subfamily within Zopheridae is supported by some phylogenetic studies but contested by others. The monophyly of Colydiinae itself is suspect due to lack of morphological synapomorphies, and the tribe Synchitini may be with respect to other colydiine tribes.

Tribal classification

Up to nine tribes are accepted by various authors: Acropini, Adimerini, Colydiini, Gempylodini, Nematidiini, Orthocerini, Rhagoderini, Rhopalocerini, and Synchitini. Some authors synonymize certain tribes, and Synchitini is sometimes merged into Colydiini. The Synchitini is the largest tribe with 115 .

Fossil record

Xylolaemus sakhnovi was described from Baltic amber dating to the Middle Eocene, representing the first fossil record for that . The extinct genus Paleoendeitoma, belonging to the extant tribe Synchitini, is known from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber of Myanmar.

Sources and further reading