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Elateriformia is an
infraorder Order () is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between Family_(biology), family and Class_(biology), class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classific ...
of
polyphaga Polyphaga is the largest and most diverse suborder of beetles. It comprises 144 families in 16 superfamilies, and displays an enormous variety of specialization and adaptation, with over 350,000 described species, or approximately 90% of the b ...
n
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. The two largest families in this group are buprestids, of which there are around 15,000 described
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
, and
click beetle Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family (biology), family of beetles. Other names include elaters, sna ...
s, of which there are around 10,000 described
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
. The infraorder consists of six superfamilies:Lawrence, J. F. & Newton, A. F. Jr. 1995. ''Families and subfamilies of Coleoptera (with selectes genera, notes, references and data on family-group names).'' In: Pakaluk y Slipinski (Eds.). Biology, phylogeny and classification of Coleoptera: Papers celebrating the 80th birthday of Roy A. Crowson. Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warszawa. Pp. 779-1006. . * Buprestoidea — the metallic wood-boring beetles * Byrrhoidea — families including long-toed water beetles, moss beetles and mud-loving beetles * Dascilloidea * Elateroidea — including the
click beetle Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family (biology), family of beetles. Other names include elaters, sna ...
s and soldier beetles * Rhinorhipoidea * Scirtoidea


See also

* List of subgroups of the order Coleoptera


References

Insect infraorders {{Elateriformia-stub