Spring-active-beetles
Guides
Ptilophorus
Ptilophorus is a genus of wedge-shaped beetles in the family Ripiphoridae, comprising at least three described species. The genus is characterized by adults with distinctive antennae—flabellate in males and triangular in females—and elytra that fully cover the abdomen, a trait unique among Ripiphoridae in some regions. Adult activity occurs primarily in spring, with males exhibiting conspicuous perching and scanning behaviors while females seek oviposition sites on dead twigs of living trees. The complete larval life cycle remains poorly known, though parasitic development is hypothesized based on family-level characteristics.