The Aderidae, sometimes called ant-like leaf beetles, are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
s that bear some resemblance to
ant
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of ...
s. The family consists of about 1,000 species in about 40 genera, of which most are tropical, although overall distribution is worldwide.
As with the
Anthicidae
The Anthicidae are a family of beetles that resemble ants. They are sometimes called ant-like flower beetles or ant-like beetles. The family comprises over 3,500 species in about 100 genera.
Description
Their heads constrict just in front of ...
, their heads constrict just in front of the
pronotum
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum ( dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...
, forming a neck, although the posterior end of the pronotum is not usually as narrow. The eyes are hairy with a granular appearance. The first two abdominal
sternite
The sternum (pl. "sterna") is the ventral portion of a segment of an arthropod thorax or abdomen.
In insects, the sterna are usually single, large sclerites, and external. However, they can sometimes be divided in two or more, in which case th ...
s are fused, and in only some groups is a suture even visible. Sizes are 1–4 mm.
As the name suggests, most adults are found on the undersides of the leaves of shrubs and trees, while larvae have been found in rotting wood, leaf litter, and nests of other insects.
, the last publication of a world catalog of the family was that of
Maurice Pic
Maurice Pic (23 March 1866, in Marrigny near Digoin – 29 December 1957, in Les Guerreaux) was a French entomologist who specialised in Coleoptera. He contributed to Mary-Louis Fauconnet's ''Catalogue raisonné des coléoptères de Saône-et-L ...
in 1910.
The oldest confirmed member of the family is ''
Gryzmalia'' from the mid Cretaceous
Burmese amber
Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. The ...
of Myanmar.
Genera
*''
Aderus''
*''
Agacinosia''
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Agenjosia''
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Anidorus''
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Ariotus''
*''
Axylophilus''
*''
Beltranosia''
*''
Candidosia''
*''
Carinatophilus''
*''
Cnopus''
*''
Cobososia''
*''
Dasytomorphus''
*''
Dusmetosia''
*''
Elonus''
*''
Emelinus''
*''
Escalerosia''
*''
Euglenes''
*''
Ganascus''
*''
Gompelia''
*''
Gonzalosia''
*''
Gymnoganascus''
*''
Hintonosia''
*''
Megaxenus''
*''
Menorosia''
*''
Mixaderus''
*''
Phytobaenus''
*''
Picemelinus''
*''
Pseudananca''
*''
Pseudanidorus''
*''
Pseudariotus''
*''
Pseudolotelus''
*''
Pseudozena''
*''
Saegerosia''
*''
Scraptogetus''
*''
Syzeton''
*''
Syzetonellus''
*''
Syzetoninus''
*''
Tokiophilus''
*''
Transrenus''
*''
Vanonus''
*''
Zarcosia''
*''
Zenascus''
*''
Zonantes''
References
*
Donald S. Chandler, "Aderidae", in
Ross H. Arnett, Jr.
Ross Harold Arnett Jr. (April 13, 1919 – July 16, 1999) was an American entomologist noted for his studies of beetles, and as founder of the ''Coleopterist's Bulletin''.
Born in Medina, New York, he was a star student at Cornell University, wher ...
and
Michael C. Thomas
Michael Charles Thomas (May 5, 1948 – October 14, 2019) was an American entomologist who co-authored the book series '' American Beetles''.
Born in Miami, Florida, Thomas graduated from the University of South Florida in 1970 with a Bachelor ...
, ''
American Beetles
''American Beetles'' is the single most comprehensive description of the beetles of North America north of the tropical area of Mexico. It was started by Ross H. Arnett, Jr. as an update of his classic ''The Beetles of the United States''; along w ...
'' (CRC Press, 2002), vol. 2
{{Taxonbar, from=Q547092
Polyphaga families