Lymexylidae
Guides
Hylecoetus
ship-timber beetles
Hylecoetus is a genus of ship-timber beetles in the family Lymexylidae, historically noted for the European species Hylecoetus flabellicornis that infested wooden ship timbers. Adults are attracted to light and are primarily nocturnal. The genus belongs to a family whose evolutionary placement has shifted historically, now generally placed within Cucujiformia near Cleroidea and Cucujoidea, though some analyses suggest a position within Tenebrionoidea.
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.
Melittomma sericeum
Chestnut Timberworm Beetle, chestnut timberworm
Melittomma sericeum, commonly known as the chestnut timberworm, is a species of ship-timber beetle in the family Lymexylidae. This beetle is found in North America. The family Lymexylidae is characterized by unusual morphology including highly reduced elytra in some genera, though specific morphological details for M. sericeum itself are not well documented in available sources. Larvae of related genera in this family are known to bore into hardwoods and form symbiotic associations with ambrosia fungi.