Eucinetidae is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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, notable for their large coxal plates that cover much of the first ventrite of the abdomen, sometimes called plate-thigh beetles. The family is small for beetles, with about 50 species in 11 genera, but are found worldwide. Adults are generally elliptical in shape, ranging from 0.8 to 4.0 mm in length, and black or brown in color. The head is small and bent underneath. Eucinetids live in detritus or in fungus-covered tree bark, where both adults and larvae are assumed to eat various sorts of

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

. Around half of the genera possess strongly modified mouthparts, particularly the labrum, adapted for suctorial feeding.

Genera

These genera belong to the family Eucinetidae: * '' Eucinetella'' * '' Eucinetus'' Germar, 1818 * '' Euscaphurus'' Casey, 1885 * '' Noteucinetus'' Bullians & Leschen, 2005 * '' Nycteus'' Latreille, 1829 * '' Peltocoleops'' Ponomarenko, 1990 * '' Subulistomella'' Sakai, 1980 * †'' Huaxiacinectus'' Hong 1995 Huachi-Huanhe Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (

Hauterivian The Hauterivian is, in the geologic timescale, an age in the Early Cretaceous Epoch or a stage in the Lower Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 132.6 ± 2 Ma and 125.77 (million years ago). The Hauterivian is preceded by the Valangi ...

) * Suctorial clade: ** '' Eucilodes'' Vit, 1985 ** †'' Cretohlezkus'' Jałoszyński 2019

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. Th ...

, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (

Albian The Albian is both an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch/s ...

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

) ** '' Bisaya'' Reitter, 1884 ** '' Jentozkus'' Vít, 1977 ** '' Tohlezkus'' Vít, 1977 ** '' Proeuzkus'' Vit, 2000

References

* Daniel K. Young, "Eucinetidae", in Ross H. Arnett, Jr. and Michael C. Thomas, ''

American Beetles ''American Beetles'' is a 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 with Michael ...

'' (CRC Press, 2002), vol. 2

External links

Elateriformia (Coleoptera) - EUCINETIDAE
Scirtoidea Beetle families {{Eucinetidae-stub