Alexiidae is a family of beetles. It contains a single genus, ''Sphaerosoma,'' formerly included within the family Cerylonidae, with around 50 species which are native to the western Palearctic. Species of ''Sphaerosoma'' are very small, around 1 to 2 mm in length rounded beetles with clubbed antennae. They are fungivores, having been observed feeding on mushrooms, and have been also been found in leaf litter and on decaying bark.Ślipinśki, Adam and Tomaszewska, Wioletta. "10.30. Alexiidae Imhoff, 1856". ''Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim)'', edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 432-434.

Taxonomy

There has been considerable confusion regarding the type species and authorship of the genus; most older sources consider the author and species to be ''Sphaerosoma quercus'' Samouelle, 1819. That name is now considered to be a ''nomen nudum'', and the valid name for Samouelle's species is ''Sphaerosoma piliferum'' (Müller, 1821). The type species is now considered to be ''Sphaerosoma quercus'' Stephens, 1832, which is itself a junior synonym of ''Sphaerosoma pilosum'' (Panzer, 1793). Alexiidae has been recovered as part of the superfamily Coccinelloidea as the sister group of Latridiidae.

Species

* ''Sphaerosoma algiricum'' (Reitter, 1889) * ''Sphaerosoma alutaceum'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma antennarium'' Apfelbeck, 1909 * ''Sphaerosoma apuanum'' Reitter, 1909 * ''Sphaerosoma bicome'' Paul de Peyerimhoff de Fontenelle, Peyerimhoff, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma bosnicum'' (Reitter, 1885) * ''Sphaerosoma carniolicum'' Apfelbeck, 1915 * ''Sphaerosoma carpathicum'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma circassicum'' (Reitter, 1888) * ''Sphaerosoma clamboides'' (Reitter, 1888) * ''Sphaerosoma compressum'' (Reitter, 1901) * ''Sphaerosoma corcyreum'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma csikii'' Apfelbeck, 1915 * ''Sphaerosoma diversepunctatum'' Roubal, 1932 * ''Sphaerosoma fiorii'' Ganglbauer, 1899 * ''Sphaerosoma globosum'' (Sturm, 1807) * ''Sphaerosoma hemisphaericum'' Ganglbauer, 1899 * ''Sphaerosoma hispanicum'' Obenberger, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma laevicolle'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma latitarse'' Apfelbeck, 1915 * ''Sphaerosoma lederi'' (Reitter, 1888) * ''Sphaerosoma leonhardi'' Apfelbeck, 1915 * ''Sphaerosoma libani'' Sahlberg, 1913 * ''Sphaerosoma maritimum'' (Reitter, 1904) * ''Sphaerosoma merditanum'' Apfelbeck, 1915 * ''Sphaerosoma meridionale'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma nevadense'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma normandi'' Peyerimhoff, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma obscuricorne'' Obenberger, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma obsoletum'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma paganetti'' Obenberger, 1913 * ''Sphaerosoma piliferum'' (Müller, 1821) * ''Sphaerosoma pilosellum'' (Reitter, 1877) * ''Sphaerosoma pilosissimum'' (Frivaldszky, 1881) * ''Sphaerosoma pilosum'' (Panzer, 1793) * ''Sphaerosoma pubescens'' (Frivaldszky, 1881) * ''Sphaerosoma punctatum'' (Reitter, 1878) * ''Sphaerosoma puncticolle'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma purkynei'' Obenberger, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma rambouseki'' Apfelbeck, 1916 * ''Sphaerosoma reitteri'' (Ormay, 1888) * ''Sphaerosoma rotundatum'' Obenberger, 1913 * ''Sphaerosoma scymnoides'' (Reitter, 1885) * ''Sphaerosoma seidlitzi'' (Reitter, 1889) * ''Sphaerosoma shardaghense'' Apfelbeck, 1915 * ''Sphaerosoma solarii'' Reitter, 1904 * ''Sphaerosoma sparsum'' Reitter, 1909 * ''Sphaerosoma sturanyi'' Apfelbeck, 1909 * ''Sphaerosoma subglabrum'' Peyerimhoff, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma sublaeve'' (Reitter, 1883) * ''Sphaerosoma tingitanum'' Peyerimhoff, 1917 * ''Sphaerosoma vallambrosae'' (Reitter, 1885) * ''Sphaerosoma winneguthi'' Apfelbeck, 1915

References

External links

Alexiidae
Tree of Life * Coccinelloidea Polyphaga families Monogeneric arthropod families {{Polyphaga-stub