Wood-associated-beetles
Guides
Byrrhodes
death-watch beetles, spider beetles
Byrrhodes is a genus of small beetles in the family Ptinidae, commonly referred to as death-watch and spider beetles. The genus contains approximately 14 described species. These beetles are typically associated with dry organic materials and wood products. Taxonomic placement has varied, with some sources historically placing the genus in Anobiidae.
Cryptorama
death-watch beetles, spider beetles
Cryptorama is a genus of beetles in the family Ptinidae, commonly referred to as death-watch and spider beetles. The genus was established by Fall in 1905 and contains more than 20 described species. Members of this genus share characteristics with other Ptinidae in their compact body form and association with wood or stored products.
Dacoderus werneri
Dacoderus werneri is a species of narrow-waisted bark beetle in the family Salpingidae, described in 2005 by Aalbu, Andrews and Pollock. The species belongs to a genus of beetles characterized by their distinctive body shape and association with dead or decaying wood. As a member of Salpingidae, it is part of a small family of beetles with limited documented ecological information.
Dromaeolini
Dromaeolini is a tribe of false click beetles (family Eucnemidae) established by Beaulieu in 1919. The tribe is currently treated as a synonym within the subfamily Macraulacinae. Eucnemidae are characterized by their inability to perform the clicking jump mechanism found in true click beetles (Elateridae), despite superficial similarities in body form. Members of this group are typically small to medium-sized beetles associated with decaying wood.
Dyscharachthis
Dyscharachthis is a genus of false click beetles in the family Eucnemidae, established by Blackburn in 1900. It belongs to the monotypic tribe Dyscharachthini. The genus is poorly known, with minimal published information on its biology and morphology. Based on family characteristics, members are likely associated with decaying wood habitats.
Endeitoma
Endeitoma is a genus of cylindrical bark beetles in the family Zopheridae, established by Sharp in 1894. The genus contains at least two described species in North America: Endeitoma dentata and Endeitoma granulata. These beetles are part of the diverse zopherid fauna associated with dead or decaying wood.
Entomophthalmus
Entomophthalmus is a genus of false click beetles (family Eucnemidae) established by Bonvouloir in 1871. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Melasinae and tribe Dirhagini. The genus contains at least one described Nearctic species, E. rufiolus, whose larval biology has been documented. Adult Eucnemidae are generally associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats.
Fornax knulli
Fornax knulli is a species of false click beetle in the family Eucnemidae. The genus Fornax belongs to a group of beetles commonly known as false click beetles, which resemble true click beetles (Elateridae) but lack the prosternal process that enables the characteristic clicking mechanism. Species in this family are typically associated with decaying wood and forest habitats. The specific epithet "knulli" honors American coleopterist Joseph N. Knull (1879-1964), who described numerous North American beetle species.
Hadrobregmus quadrulus
Hadrobregmus quadrulus is a small beetle species in the family Ptinidae, first described by LeConte in 1859 from specimens collected in California. It belongs to a group commonly known as death-watch and spider beetles, many of which are associated with wood or stored products. The species is documented from western North America, with records from British Columbia and California.
Hylocharini
Hylocharini is a tribe of click beetles within the family Eucnemidae, subfamily Melasinae. The group was established by Jacquelin du Val in 1859. Members of this tribe are characterized by features of the adult and larval morphology that distinguish them from other eucnemid tribes. The tribe is relatively small and poorly documented in published literature.
Microrhagus
Microrhagus is a genus of false click beetles in the family Eucnemidae, tribe Dirhagini. The genus was established by Dejean in 1833 and contains Palaearctic species, including two species recently described from the Russian Far East (M. nikitskyi and M. vicarius). Members of this genus are small beetles associated with decaying wood habitats.
Nematodinus
Nematodinus is a genus of false click beetles (family Eucnemidae) described by Lea in 1919. Members of this genus belong to the tribe Dirhagini within the subfamily Melasinae. The genus is characterized by morphological features typical of the Dirhagini, including antennae with distinct club segments. Information on this genus remains limited, with few documented observations.
Ostomopsis
Ostomopsis is a genus of minute bark beetles in the family Cerylonidae, established by Scott in 1922. The genus contains at least three described species: O. kuscheli, O. neotropicalis, and O. watti. These beetles belong to the subfamily Ostomopsinae and are part of the diverse Cerylonidae family within the superfamily Coccinelloidea.
Oxylaemus
Oxylaemus is a genus of small beetles in the family Teredidae, established by Erichson in 1845. The genus contains at least three described species distributed in North America and Europe. Members of this genus are associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats.
Oxylaemus americanus
A small North American beetle in the family Teredidae (formerly part of Anobiidae), described by LeConte in 1863. Very little published information exists on the natural history of this species, though it belongs to a family associated with wood-boring and fungal-feeding habits. The genus Oxylaemus contains species typically found in decaying wood and fungal environments.
Ozognathus floridanus
Ozognathus floridanus is a small beetle in the family Ptinidae, first described by LeConte in 1878. The species is known from North America, with records indicating presence in the United States. Like other members of Ptinidae, it is likely associated with wood or stored products, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The genus Ozognathus contains relatively few described species, and O. floridanus appears to be one of the less frequently encountered members of this group.
Protofarsus
Protofarsus is a genus of false click beetles (family Eucnemidae) established by Muona in 2000. It belongs to a family characterized by larvae that develop in decaying wood. The genus is poorly known, with minimal published information and very few documented observations.
Pseudoholostrophus
Pseudoholostrophus is a genus of polypore fungus beetles in the family Tetratomidae, established by Nikitsky in 1983. The genus comprises at least four described species, with two species (P. discolor and P. impressicollis) recorded from the Nearctic region. These beetles are associated with polypore fungi, though specific ecological relationships remain poorly documented.
Synapiina
Synapiina is a subtribe of weevils within the family Brentidae, characterized by elongated, slender bodies and antennae that are straight or only weakly elbowed. Members of this subtribe are distinguished from other brentid groups by specific genitalic and rostral features. The subtribe includes multiple genera and is primarily distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. These weevils are associated with woody plants, though specific host relationships remain poorly documented for many species.
Taphroscelidia
Taphroscelidia is a genus of small beetles in the family Passandridae, first described by Crotch in 1873. The genus contains approximately 13 described species distributed across multiple continents. Members of this genus are classified as flat bark beetles, a group associated with woody substrates. The genus has been documented through 192 observations on iNaturalist, indicating moderate but widespread recording effort.
Trogossitidae
bark-gnawing beetles
Trogossitidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea, commonly known as bark-gnawing beetles. The family has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with many former members reassigned to separate families (Lophocateridae, Peltidae, Protopeltidae, Rentoniidae, and Thymalidae) as of 2019. Under the modern circumscription, the family contains approximately 400 species in 25 genera, reduced from roughly 600 species in over 50 genera under previous definitions. Members are predominantly predatory and/or mycophagous, with both adults and larvae associated with wood habitats.
Vincenzellus
Vincenzellus is a genus of narrow-waisted bark beetles in the family Salpingidae, established by Reitter in 1911. The genus contains at least two described species: V. elongatus and V. ruficollis. Members of this genus are small beetles associated with dead or decaying wood. They are distributed across parts of northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Vrilletta
Vrilletta is a genus of small beetles in the family Ptinidae (formerly Anobiidae), containing 10 described species distributed primarily in North America. The genus was established by J.L. LeConte in 1874 and is classified within the subfamily Xyletininae. Species are recorded from western and eastern North America, with several endemic to California. These beetles are associated with dead wood and woody materials.
Xylophilus
Xylophilus is a genus of beetles in the family Eucnemidae, first described by Mannerheim in 1823. The genus belongs to the tribe Xylobiini within the subfamily Melasinae. Eucnemidae, commonly known as false click beetles, are a family of elateroid beetles characterized by larvae that develop in decaying wood. The genus name Xylophilus (from Greek xylon "wood" and philos "loving") reflects an association with woody substrates. The name Xylophilus is also used for a bacterial genus (Willems et al. 1987), but this taxon record refers to the beetle genus.
Zopheridae
Ironclad beetles
Zopheridae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, commonly known as ironclad beetles. The family has expanded considerably in recent years to include the former families Monommatidae and Colydiidae as subfamilies or tribes. It comprises approximately 190 genera and 1700 species distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by exceptionally hardened exoskeletons that make specimens difficult to pin for collection. The family includes diverse feeding habits, with many species associated with rotting wood or fungus, while some Colydiinae are predatory or feed on living plant tissue.