Bostrichoidea is a

superfamily SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

s. It is the type superfamily of the infraorder

Bostrichiformia Bostrichiformia is an infraorder of polyphagan beetles. It contains two superfamilies, Derodontoidea and Bostrichoidea, which includes the Dermestidae, Ptinidae, Bostrichidae The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 descri ...

Description

The Bostrichoidea are united by the following features: modified cryptonephridism, the structure of the

aedeagus An aedeagus ( or aedeagi) is a reproductive organ of male arthropods through which they secrete sperm from the testes during copulation (zoology), copulation with a female. It can be thought of as the insect equivalent of a mammal's penis, th ...

in males, and the lack of a basal mandibular mola in larvae. Aside from this, Bostrichoidea show a range of morphologies. For example, in Bostrichidae alone, the adult body shape varies from convex to flattened, the body length from , and the colour may be yellow, brown or black and sometimes has a metallic hue.

Ecology

Bostrichoids generally live in dry habitats. For example, many Bostrichidae feed on wood, though some attack

monocotyledonous Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, ( Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are flowering plants whose seeds contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. A monocot taxon has been in use for several decades, but with various ranks an ...

plants as well and ''Rhyzopertha dominica'' feeds on stored grains and cereal products. Similarly, most Ptinidae are wood-borers as larvae but some feed on other dry plant or animal material, such as stored foods, tobacco and museum specimens. Dermestidae are typically

scavengers Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding ...

on dried organic matter with a high protein content, with some species being predators or feeding on pollen and nectar.

Families and subfamilies

Bostrichoidea includes the following subgroups: * Family

Bostrichidae The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 described species. They are commonly called auger beetles, false powderpost beetles, or horned powderpost beetles. Anatomy The head of most auger beetles cannot be seen from above, as ...

Latreille, 1802 - Horned Powder-post Beetles ** Subfamily Bostrichinae Latreille, 1802 ** Subfamily Dinoderinae Thomson, 1863 ** Subfamily Dysidinae Lesne, 1921 ** Subfamily Euderiinae Lesne, 1934 ** Subfamily

Lyctinae Powderpost beetles are a group of seventy species of woodboring beetles classified in the insect subfamily Lyctinae. These beetles, along with spider beetles, death watch beetles, common furniture beetles, skin beetles, and others, make up t ...

Billberg, 1820 - Powder-post Beetles ** Subfamily Polycaoninae Lesne, 1896 ** Subfamily Psoinae Blanchard, 1851 * Family

Dermestidae Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles or carpet beetles. Other common names include larder beetles, hide or leather beetles, and khapra beetles. There are over 1,800 species described. Dermestids ha ...

Latreille, 1804 - Carpet Beetles ** Subfamily

Attageninae Attageninae was a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles or carpet beetles. Other common names include larder beetles, hide or leather beetles, and k ...

Laporte, 1840 ** Subfamily

Dermestinae Dermestinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae. It contains the following genera: * '' Derbyana'' Lawrence & Slipinski, 2005 * '' Dermestes'' Linnaeus, 1758 * '' Mariouta'' Pic, 1898 * '' Rhopalosilpha'' Arrow, 1929 *†'' Parad ...

Latreille, 1804 ** Subfamily

Megatominae Megatominae is a subfamily of the beetle family Dermestidae. This subfamily contains several of the most well-known household and stored-product pest beetles, in the genera '' Anthrenus'' and '' Trogoderma''. Taxonomy According to World Dermes ...

Leach, 1815 ** Subfamily

Orphilinae Orphilinae is a subfamily of beetles that includes three genera: '' Orphilodes'', ''Orphilus'' and '' Ranolus''. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte John Lawrence LeConte MD (May 13, 1825 – November 15, 1883) was an American entomolog ...

LeConte, 1861 ** Subfamily

Thorictinae Thorictinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles or carpet beetles. Other common names include larder beetles, hide or leather beetles, and kha ...

Agassiz, 1846 ** Subfamily

Trinodinae Trinodinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Dermestidae Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles or carpet beetles. Other common names include larder beetles, hide or leather beetles, and khap ...

Casey, 1900 * Family

Endecatomidae ''Endecatomus'' is a genus of beetles, the sole member of the family Endecatomidae. There are at least four described species in ''Endecatomus''. Endecatomidae was formerly treated as a subfamily of Ciidae or Bostrichidae. They are found in the H ...

LeConte, 1861 * Family

Ptinidae Ptinidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Bostrichoidea. There are at least 220 genera and 2,200 described species in Ptinidae worldwide. The family includes spider beetles and deathwatch beetle, as well as the Cigarette beetle, cigare ...

Latreille, 1802 (formerly Anobiidae) ** Subfamily Alvarenganiellinae Viana and Martínez, 1971 ** Subfamily

Anobiinae Anobiinae is the subfamily of death-watch beetles in the family Ptinidae, with at least 45 genera. It was formerly considered a member of the family Anobiidae, but its family name has since been changed to Ptinidae. The larvae of a number of sp ...

Fleming, 1821 - Death-watch Beetles ** Subfamily

Dorcatominae Dorcatominae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are about 16 genera and at least 190 described species in Dorcatominae. The subfamily Dorcatominae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were former ...

Thomson, 1859 ** Subfamily

Dryophilinae Dryophilinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are at least six genera and two described species in Dryophilinae. The subfamily Dryophilinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly con ...

Gistel, 1848 ** Subfamily

Ernobiinae Ernobiinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are about 8 genera and at least 90 described species in Ernobiinae. The subfamily Dryophilinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were formerly con ...

Pic, 1912 ** Subfamily Eucradinae LeConte, 1861 ** Subfamily

Mesocoelopodinae Mesocoelopodinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are at least 4 genera and 100 described species in Mesocoelopodinae. The subfamily Mesocoelopodinae, along with Anobiinae and several others, were f ...

Mulsant and Rey, 1864 ** Subfamily Ptilininae Shuckard, 1839 ** Subfamily

Ptininae Spider beetles make up the subfamily Ptininae, in the family Ptinidae. There are approximately 70 genera and 600 species in the subfamily, with about 12 genera and 70 species in North America north of Mexico. Spider beetles have round bodies wi ...

Latreille, 1802 - Spider Beetles ** Subfamily Xyletininae Gistel, 1848

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bostrichoidea Beetle superfamilies