Featherwing-beetle
Guides
Acrotrichini
Acrotrichini is a tribe of minute featherwing beetles (family Ptiliidae) characterized by their extremely small body size—among the smallest of all beetles. Members possess distinctive wing morphology with reduced venation and fringed margins that enable flight despite their diminutive size. The tribe was established by Reitter in 1909 and is classified within the subfamily Ptiliinae. Acrotrichini includes the genus Acrotrichis, which contains numerous species distributed across multiple continents.
Limulodes paradoxus
Horse-shoe Crab Beetle
Limulodes paradoxus is a minute featherwing beetle (family Ptiliidae) first described by Matthews in 1867. It is commonly known as the Horse-shoe Crab Beetle, likely referring to its distinctive body shape. The species is distributed across the eastern and southeastern United States, with records from Arizona to Massachusetts. As a member of Ptiliidae, it belongs to one of the smallest beetle families, with adults typically measuring less than 1 mm in length.
Nephanini
Nephanini is a tribe of featherwing beetles (family Ptiliidae) established by Portevin in 1929. Members of this tribe are among the smallest beetles known, with most species measuring less than 1 mm in length. The tribe is classified within the subfamily Ptiliinae and is characterized by specific morphological features of the wing structure and body form. These beetles inhabit decaying organic matter where they feed on fungal spores and hyphae.