Cupedidae
Guides
Cupes
Cupes is a genus of reticulate beetles in the family Cupedidae, containing a single extant species, Cupes capitatus, native to eastern North America. The genus has a remarkably diverse fossil record, with numerous extinct species described from Eocene to Pliocene deposits in Europe and China. The extant species is small, averaging 7.8 mm in length, with distinctive orange head ornamentation. The disjunct distribution—living species in North America versus abundant fossils in Europe—suggests a formerly widespread group with a contracted modern range.
Cupes capitatus
Prominent-headed Reticulated Beetle
Cupes capitatus is the sole extant species in the genus Cupes, a relict lineage within the family Cupedidae. Described by Fabricius in 1801, this beetle represents one of the few living members of an ancient group of beetles with distinctive reticulated wing covers. Its restricted distribution in eastern North America and its phylogenetic isolation make it of particular interest for studies of beetle evolution and biogeography.
Priacma
Priacma is a genus of reticulated beetles (family Cupedidae) containing one extant species, Priacma serrata, found in western North America. The genus also includes fossil species, notably P. megapuncta from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber. Priacma represents one of the few surviving lineages of the once-diverse Archostemata, an ancient suborder of beetles. The genus was established by J. L. LeConte in 1874.
Priacma serrata
Priacma bleach beetle
Priacma serrata is the sole extant species in the genus Priacma, a relict lineage of reticulated beetles in the family Cupedidae. Males are strongly attracted to the odor of bleach and other chlorine-based compounds, a unique behavioral trait that facilitates collection and study. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism, with females substantially larger than males and rarely encountered. Adult males possess non-functional digestive tracts and do not feed. Populations display episodic mass emergence events rather than continuous adult activity.
Prolixocupes
Prolixocupes is a genus of reticulated beetles in the family Cupedidae, suborder Archostemata. The genus contains two described species with disjunct distributions: P. latreillei in central Chile and western Argentina, and P. lobiceps in western North America (Arizona, California, and Baja California, México). Archostemata is a small, relictual suborder of Coleoptera representing some of the most basal beetle lineages.
Prolixocupes lobiceps
Prolixocupes lobiceps is a species of reticulated beetle in the family Cupedidae, first described by LeConte in 1874. It belongs to the suborder Archostemata, one of the most basal lineages of beetles. The species was historically known from western North America, with first records from México documented in 2012 from the Baja California Peninsula. As with other Cupedidae, it possesses the characteristic reticulated wing venation that gives the family its common name.
Tenomerga cinerea
Eastern Ashen Reticulated Beetle
Tenomerga cinerea is a species of reticulated beetle in the family Cupedidae, commonly known as the Eastern Ashen Reticulated Beetle. It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Ontario and Québec in Canada. As a member of the suborder Archostemata, it represents one of the more primitive lineages of beetles.