Bostrichiformia
Guides
Bostrichoidea
Carpet, Powderpost, and Deathwatch Beetles
Bostrichoidea is a superfamily of beetles within the infraorder Bostrichiformia. It encompasses several families including Bostrichidae (powder-post and horned beetles), Dermestidae (carpet beetles), Endecatomidae, and Ptinidae (death-watch and spider beetles). Members are predominantly associated with dry habitats and exhibit diverse ecological roles ranging from wood-boring to scavenging on dried organic matter. The superfamily is united by modified cryptonephridism, male aedeagus structure, and larval mandibular morphology lacking a basal mola.
Gibbium
hump beetle
Gibbium is a genus of small beetles in the family Ptinidae, commonly known as hump beetles. The genus contains at least two recognized species: G. aequinoctiale, which has a cosmopolitan distribution, and G. psylloides, found in the Palearctic, Southeast Asia, and North Africa. These beetles are primarily known as stored-product pests, feeding on dried animal and plant material. Gibbium species have been studied for their feeding behavior, developmental biology, and role as hosts for parasitoid wasps.
Gibbium aequinoctiale
smooth spider beetle
Gibbium aequinoctiale, commonly known as the smooth spider beetle, is a small beetle in the family Ptinidae (subfamily Ptininae). It has a pantropical distribution spanning the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, and parts of Asia. The species feeds primarily on dead organic materials and is frequently associated with stored products and warm, humid environments. It is morphologically similar to G. psylloides, from which it can be distinguished by pronotal shape and elytral punctation.
Gnostus
Gnostus is a monotypic genus of spider beetles in the family Ptinidae, containing a single described species, G. floridanus. The genus was established by Westwood in 1855. As a member of Ptinidae, it belongs to a group of beetles commonly associated with stored products and dry organic materials.
Trichodesma cristata
death-watch beetle
Trichodesma cristata is a species of death-watch beetle in the family Ptinidae. It is a small beetle found in North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada. The species was described by Thomas Lincoln Casey Jr. in 1890. Like other members of the family Ptinidae, it is associated with wood-boring habits.