Dascillidae is a family of beetles within the clade
Elateriformia. There are about 100 extant species in 11 genera, which are found worldwide. Dascillidae together with
Rhipiceridae form the super family
Dascilloidea.
Taxonomy
The family was named by
Guérin Méneville in 1843.
The family is divided up into two poorly defined subfamilies, Karumiinae and Dascillinae.
Description
Adult Dascillidae are 4.5–25 mm long with an elongate body that is somewhat convex in cross-section. They are covered in dense grey/brown hairs.
Karumiines have highly modified soft-bodies, similar to some members of
Elateroidea.
Ecology
The adults can be found on grass during the springtime. The larvae occur in moist soil or under rocks.
The larvae are thought to feed on roots or decaying plant matter. Some karumiines like ''
Karumia'' are associated with termites.
Genera
* ''
Anorus''
* ''
Coptocera''
* ''
Dascillus''
* ''
Drilocephalus''
* ''
Emmita''
* ''
Genecerus''
* ''
Karumia''
* ''
Metallidascillus''
* ''
Notodascillus''
* ''
Petalon''
* ''
Pleolobus''
* ''
Sinocaulus''
* †''
Baltodascillus''
Baltic Amber
Baltic amber or succinite is amber from the Baltic region, home of its largest known deposits. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that this forested region provided the re ...
,
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
* †''
Cretodascillus''
Yixian Formation
The Yixian Formation (; formerly Romanization of Chinese, transcribed as Yihsien Formation or Yixiang Formation) is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous. I ...
, China, Early
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
(
Aptian
The Aptian is an age (geology), age in the geologic timescale or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), S ...
)
* †''
Lyprodascillus''
Shanwang, China,
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
(familial attribution uncertain
)
* †''
Parelateriformius''
, China, Middle–Late
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...
References
Elateriformia
Beetle families
{{polyphaga-stub