Wedge-shaped-beetles
Guides
Pelecotoma
wedge-shaped beetles
Pelecotoma is a genus of wedge-shaped beetles in the family Ripiphoridae, comprising at least three described species. The genus is classified in the subfamily Pelecotominae. Species in this genus occur in northern regions including Finland, Sweden, and parts of North America. The genus is characterized by its distinctive wedge-shaped body form typical of Ripiphoridae.
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.
Ptilophorus wrightii
Engineered wedge-shaped Beetle
Ptilophorus wrightii is a wedge-shaped beetle in the family Ripiphoridae, first described by LeConte in 1868. The species was historically known from the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) and Mexico, with first records from Colorado and Oklahoma documented in 2014. The specific epithet honors General W.W. Wright, Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific Railway survey during which the species was collected.
Trigonodera
wedge-shaped beetles
Trigonodera is a genus of wedge-shaped beetles in the family Ripiphoridae, established by Dejean in 1834. The genus contains at least three described species distributed across different regions. Members of this genus share the characteristic wedge-shaped body form typical of Ripiphoridae.