Cydnoides
Malloch, 1919
ebony bugs
Cydnoides is a of small, dark-colored in the , commonly known as ebony . The genus contains five described distributed in North America. These are characterized by their compact, oval body shape and predominantly black or dark coloration. The genus was established by Malloch in 1919.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cydnoides: //sɪdˈnɔɪdiːz//
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Distribution
North America. The five described —C. albipennis, C. ciliatus, C. confusus, C. obtusus, and C. renormatus—are documented from the United States based on historical collections.
Similar Taxa
- ThyreocorisAlso in ; both share the compact, dark-bodied 'ebony ' . Cydnoides can be distinguished by specific genitalic and structural characters used in Malloch's original description.
- CorimelaenaAnother of ebony in with similar size and coloration. Cydnoides typically lacks the more pronounced on the seen in some Corimelaena .
More Details
Taxonomic history
Cydnoides was established by Malloch in 1919. The name superficially resembles 'Cydnus' (a genus in , the ), but Cydnoides belongs to the distinct family . The epithet 'cydnoides' used in Talpoblissus cydnoides (Blissidae) refers to resemblance to Cydnus, not to the genus Cydnoides itself—this reflects convergent body forms among unrelated lineages.
Collection records
As of the provided data, iNaturalist documents 72 observations for the , indicating limited but detectable presence in science datasets. Historical descriptions by Say (1859), Uhler (1863, 1894, 1895), and McAtee and Malloch (1933) suggest the genus has been recognized in North faunal surveys for over 160 years.