Bark-beetles
Guides
Aglenus
A genus of narrow-waisted bark beetles in the family Salpingidae. Contains at least one described species, A. brunneus. Members of this genus are small beetles associated with bark habitats.
Baconia
Baconia is a genus of clown beetles (family Histeridae) comprising 116 species, with 85 species described in a 2013 systematic revision. The genus is renowned for brilliant jewel-like coloration and bizarrely flattened body forms—traits rare and little-appreciated in the Histeridae. Species are primarily distributed across North and South America. Many species are known from extremely few specimens; nearly half are represented by only one or two specimens in museum collections.
Cerylon
Cerylon is a genus of minute bark beetles in the family Cerylonidae, established by Latreille in 1802. The genus comprises approximately 11 described species distributed across Europe and North America. These beetles are small, inconspicuous inhabitants of forest ecosystems where they occupy specialized microhabitats on and beneath bark.
Corthylina
Corthylina is a subtribe of small bark beetles within the tribe Corthylini (subfamily Scolytinae). Members are characterized by compact bodies and are primarily associated with woody plants. The subtribe includes economically significant species that tunnel in the phloem of trees and shrubs. Many species exhibit host-specific relationships with particular tree genera.
Corthylini
Corthylini is a tribe of weevils within the family Curculionidae. Members are small beetles associated with coniferous trees, where they develop in bark and wood tissues. The tribe includes several economically significant species that damage timber and ornamental conifers. Adults are characterized by a compact body form and clubbed antennae typical of the family.
Corticotomus
Corticotomus is a genus of beetles in the family Trogossitidae, established by Sharp in 1891. Members of this genus are part of a family commonly known as bark-gnawing beetles, though specific ecological details for Corticotomus remain limited in published literature. The genus is represented by observations on iNaturalist, indicating ongoing documentation by naturalists.
Cucujoidea
flat bark beetles, fungus beetles, sap beetles
Cucujoidea is a superfamily of beetles within the infraorder Cucujiformia, comprising 25 extant families and two extinct families. This group includes fungus beetles, flat bark beetles, sap beetles, and diverse lineages of 'bark beetles' unrelated to the true bark beetles (Scolytinae, Curculionoidea). Members exhibit varied morphology without unifying external features, though adults share internal characteristics including open procoxal cavities and specific tarsal formulas. The superfamily formerly encompassed families now placed in Coccinelloidea. Ecologically, most species have cryptic habits in fungi, leaf litter, or dead wood, with some lineages associated with flowers or stored food products.
Curculionoidea
weevils, snout beetles, bark beetles
Curculionoidea is a superfamily of beetles containing over 60,000 described species, making it one of the most diverse groups of organisms on Earth. Members are commonly known as weevils, snout beetles, or bark beetles. The superfamily includes several families, with Curculionidae (true weevils) being the largest. Most species are small, herbivorous beetles, though feeding habits vary across families. The group is characterized by distinctive morphological features, particularly modifications to the head and mouthparts.
Desmiphorini
Desmiphorini is a tribe of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) within the subfamily Lamiinae, distributed across the New World and Asia. Members are characterized by distinctive tufts or fascicles of erect hairs (pencils) on the body, often functioning in crypsis against bark or foliage. The tribe includes genera such as Desmiphora, Graphidessa, Miccolamia, and Ceiupaba, with species ranging from minute (Miccolamia minuta, considered the smallest cerambycid in China) to larger forms. Many species exhibit cryptic coloration matching their host substrates, with some showing potential caterpillar mimicry.
Digamasellidae
Digamasellidae is a family of mesostigmatid mites containing 11 recognized genera. Members are primarily found in subcortical habitats, including bark beetle galleries and decaying wood. At least some species are nematophagous, feeding on nematodes. The family is distributed across Europe and has been recorded in association with pine bark beetles.
Histiostoma
Histiostoma is a genus of astigmatan mites in the family Histiostomatidae, characterized by modified brush-like chelicerae adapted for filtering microbes from substrates. The genus exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, with species occupying habitats ranging from bark beetle galleries and insect associations to aquatic environments and decaying organic matter. Many species form heteromorphic deutonymphs (hypopi) specialized for phoretic dispersal on arthropod hosts. Histiostoma includes economically significant species such as H. feroniarum, a pest of cultivated mushrooms, and H. laboratorium, a notorious contaminant of Drosophila research cultures.
Ipini
Engraver Beetles and Allies
Ipini is a monophyletic tribe of bark beetles (Scolytinae) commonly known as engraver beetles. Members are specialized conifer feeders, primarily associated with Pinaceae hosts including *Pinus* and *Picea*. The tribe includes economically significant forest pests such as *Ips typographus* (European spruce bark beetle) and *Ips sexdentatus* (six-spined engraver beetle). Species develop within wood tissues, creating egg galleries that can kill host trees during outbreaks.
Micracidini
Micracidini is a tribe of Afrotropical bark beetles within Scolytinae. The tribe comprises 11 valid genera following a 2021 taxonomic revision that erected five new genera (Neomicracis, Leiomicracis, Diplotrichus, Pseudolanurgus, Microlanurgus) and synonymized one genus. Phylogenetic analyses based on five molecular markers and morphological characters support this classification. The tribe originated in the late Cretaceous and exhibits a biogeographic pattern centered on Madagascar, which was colonized once from East Africa followed by multiple re-colonizations to the mainland.
Monoedus
Monoedus is a genus of cylindrical bark beetles in the family Zopheridae. It contains approximately eight described species distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. The genus was established by G.H. Horn in 1882 and is currently classified within the tribe Adimerini, subfamily Colydiinae. Species in this genus are characterized by their elongated, cylindrical body form typical of many colydiine beetles.
Monotomidae
Minute Clubbed Beetles
Monotomidae is a family of small beetles in the superfamily Nitiduloidea, containing approximately 240 species in 33 genera. The family exhibits diverse ecological habits: members occur under tree bark, in decaying vegetation, on flowers, and in ant nests. Some species are mycophagous, feeding on ascomycete fungi, while others are predatory. The genus Rhizophagus includes species that prey on bark beetles and their immature stages.
Mychocerus
minute bark beetles
Mychocerus is a genus of minute bark beetles in the family Cerylonidae, established by Erichson in 1845. The genus contains at least two described species: M. discretus (Casey, 1890) and M. striatus (Sen Gupta & Crowson, 1973). These beetles are small, inconspicuous insects associated with dead or decaying wood.
Myrmex
snout and bark beetles
Myrmex is a genus of snout and bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, containing at least 30 described species. These beetles are characterized by the distinctive elongated snout typical of weevils. The genus was established by J. Sturm in 1826. Members of this genus are part of the diverse Curculionidae family, which is one of the largest families of beetles.
Ostomopsis
Ostomopsis is a genus of minute bark beetles in the family Cerylonidae, established by Scott in 1922. The genus contains at least three described species: O. kuscheli, O. neotropicalis, and O. watti. These beetles belong to the subfamily Ostomopsinae and are part of the diverse Cerylonidae family within the superfamily Coccinelloidea.
Phloeonemus
Phloeonemus is a genus of cylindrical bark beetles in the family Zopheridae, established by Erichson in 1845. The genus contains at least three described species: P. catenulatus, P. interruptus, and P. martorelli. These beetles are associated with bark habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. Members of this genus are rarely encountered in collections and field observations.
Phloeotribini
Phloeotribini is a tribe of bark beetles within the subfamily Scolytinae, characterized by their small size and association with woody plants. Members are distinguished from related tribes by specific morphological features of the antennal club and pronotum. The tribe contains several genera, with Phloeotribus being the most well-known. These beetles are primarily found in association with dead or dying branches and twigs of various tree species.
Pityoborus
Pityoborus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, established by Blackman in 1922. The genus contains approximately 12 described species. These beetles are part of the diverse weevil superfamily Curculionoidea, though specific ecological and morphological details for the genus as a whole remain limited in published sources.
Platysoma
clown beetles
Platysoma is a genus of clown beetles (family Histeridae) comprising over 80 described species. Members are small, compact beetles that inhabit subcortical environments beneath tree bark. They are predatory throughout their life cycle, specializing in bark beetle prey. The genus is notable among Histeridae for exhibiting facultative egg predation behavior in adults.
Premnobius
Premnobius is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, established by Wilhelm Joseph Eichhoff in 1878. The genus contains more than 30 described species. Members are classified within the weevil family, though they exhibit the wood-boring habits characteristic of bark beetles. The genus is part of the diverse Curculionidae, one of the largest families of beetles.
Rhabdophloeus
Rhabdophloeus is a genus of small beetles in the family Laemophloeidae, established by Sharp in 1899. The genus contains five described species distributed across the Americas. Laemophloeidae, commonly known as lined flat bark beetles, are characterized by their flattened bodies and association with dead or decaying wood. Species within Rhabdophloeus appear to follow this family pattern, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Rhagodera
cylindrical bark beetles
Rhagodera is a genus of cylindrical bark beetles in the family Zopheridae, established by Mannerheim in 1843. The genus comprises at least four described species distributed in North America. Members of this genus are classified within the tribe Rhagoderini and subfamily Colydiinae. These beetles are associated with bark habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Salpinginae
narrow-waisted bark beetles
Salpinginae is a subfamily of beetles within the family Salpingidae, commonly referred to as narrow-waisted bark beetles. The group contains at least 11 recognized genera distributed across multiple continents. Members are associated with dead or decaying wood, where they occur under bark. The subfamily was established by Leach in 1815 and remains taxonomically accepted.
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.
Synchitini
cylindrical bark beetles
Synchitini is a tribe of cylindrical bark beetles in the family Zopheridae, established by Redtenbacher in 1845. The tribe contains approximately 19 genera and at least 40 described species. Members of this group are characterized by their elongated, cylindrical body form adapted for living under bark. A fossil genus, †Paleoendeitoma, has been described from Burmese amber dating to the Cenomanian period.
Synchroa
synchroa bark beetles
Synchroa is a genus of beetles in the family Synchroidae, comprising approximately six described species. Members are characterized by an elongate, tapered, and slightly flattened body with brownish to black coloration. The genus represents the nominal and largest genus within its family, with a broad distribution spanning North America, the eastern Palearctic, and the Oriental regions. Species diversity is highest in Eastern Asia, where multiple new species have been described in recent decades.
Teredidae
Teredidae is a family of small beetles in the superfamily Coccinelloidea, containing approximately 160 species in 10 genera. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution excluding South America and Antarctica. Teredids are typically found in concealed microhabitats such as under bark, in leaf litter, and especially within the galleries of wood-boring beetles. The family was historically treated as a subfamily of Bothrideridae but is now recognized as distinct. Fossil records extend to the mid-Cretaceous with Delteredolaemus from Burmese amber.
Trogossitidae
bark-gnawing beetles
Trogossitidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea, commonly known as bark-gnawing beetles. The family has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with many former members reassigned to separate families (Lophocateridae, Peltidae, Protopeltidae, Rentoniidae, and Thymalidae) as of 2019. Under the modern circumscription, the family contains approximately 400 species in 25 genera, reduced from roughly 600 species in over 50 genera under previous definitions. Members are predominantly predatory and/or mycophagous, with both adults and larvae associated with wood habitats.
Trogossitinae
Trogossitinae is a subfamily of beetles within the family Trogossitidae, first described by Latreille in 1802. Members of this subfamily are primarily associated with forest habitats and are often found under bark or in decaying wood. The group has been the subject of taxonomic revision, with a comprehensive review published in 2014. The subfamily contains multiple genera and is part of the cleroid beetle lineage within the superfamily Cleroidea.
Uropodoidea
tortoise mites
Uropodoidea is a superfamily of tortoise mites (Mesostigmata) comprising over 2,000 described species worldwide. These mites are characterized by their phoretic associations with insects, particularly bark beetles (Scolytinae) and burying beetles (Nicrophorus), which they use for dispersal between patchy, ephemeral habitats. The superfamily exhibits diverse host relationships, with most species showing narrow host specificity, though some exhibit broader host ranges. Molecular and morphological studies have revealed that apparent host generalists are often complexes of cryptic specialist species.
Winterschmidtiidae
Winterschmidtiidae is a family of over 140 mite species in the order Astigmata, distributed worldwide. The family comprises four subfamilies with distinct ecological specializations: Ensliniellinae associated with Hymenoptera (especially wasps and bees), Winterschmidtiinae with wood-boring beetles, Saproglyphinae with decaying materials and fungi, and Oulenziinae with leaves, vertebrate nests, and stored foods. Many species exhibit complex life cycles synchronized with insect hosts, including phoretic deutonymphs for dispersal and seasonal polymorphisms for environmental resistance.
Xylechinus
Xylechinus is a genus of crenulate bark beetles established by F. Chapuis in 1869. The genus comprises 53 described species within the family Curculionidae (true weevils). Members are classified among bark beetles, a group known for their association with woody plants.
Zopheridae
Ironclad beetles
Zopheridae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, commonly known as ironclad beetles. The family has expanded considerably in recent years to include the former families Monommatidae and Colydiidae as subfamilies or tribes. It comprises approximately 190 genera and 1700 species distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by exceptionally hardened exoskeletons that make specimens difficult to pin for collection. The family includes diverse feeding habits, with many species associated with rotting wood or fungus, while some Colydiinae are predatory or feed on living plant tissue.