Ambrosia-beetles
Guides
Melittomma
Melittomma is a genus of ship-timber beetles (family Lymexylidae) comprising approximately 20 described species distributed pantropically. The genus is notable for larvae that bore into hardwoods and palm stems, with some species forming symbiotic associations with ambrosia fungi. Melittomma insulare is a serious pest of coconut palms in the Seychelles and Madagascar, causing structural damage that can lead to tree collapse. Adult females deposit fungal spores in a sticky matrix with their eggs, and larvae carry spores into wood on their bodies.
Sosylus
Sosylus is a genus of dry bark beetles in the family Bothrideridae, containing approximately eight described species. These beetles are significant natural predators and parasites of ambrosia beetles (family Platypodidae). The genus has been documented in New Guinea and other regions, with species exhibiting distinctive triungulin-type first-instar larvae—a mobile larval form rare among beetles.