Polyphaga is the largest and most diverse
suborder of
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 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 beetle species discovered thus far.
Key characteristics of Polyphaga are that the hind
coxa (base of the leg) does not divide the first and second abdominal/ventral plates which are known as
sternites. Also, the
notopleural suture (found under the pronotal shield) is not present.
Etymology
The name of ''polyphaga'' is derived from two Greek words: , meaning 'many', and , meaning 'to eat', so the suborder is called the “eaters of many things”.
Classification
The five main infraorders are:
*
Bostrichiformia — including
furniture beetles and
skin beetles
*
Cucujiformia — includes
lady beetles,
longhorn beetle
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns (whose larvae are often referred to as roundheaded borers), are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described.
Most species are characterized by Antenn ...
s,
weevils,
checkered beetles and
leaf beetles
*
Elateriformia — includes
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
fireflies
*
Scarabaeiformia — includes
scarab beetles,
stag beetles, and
dung beetles
*
Staphyliniformia — includes
rove beetles and
water scavenger beetles
Phylogenetic studies have also suggested that Scirtoidea (
Scirtidae,
Decliniidae), Clamboidea (
Clambidae,
Derodontidae,
Eucinetidae), ''
Rhinorhipus'' and
Nosodendridae are independent lineages of Polyphaga that lie outside these groups.
The internal classification of Polyphaga involves several superfamilies or series, whose constituents are relatively stable, although some smaller families (whose rank even is disputed) are allocated to different clades by different authors. Large superfamilies include
Hydrophiloidea,
Staphylinoidea,
Scarabaeoidea,
Buprestoidea,
Byrrhoidea,
Elateroidea, and
Bostrichoidea.
The infraorder
Cucujiformia includes the vast majority of
phytophagous (plant-eating) beetles, united by cryptonephric
Malpighian tubules of the normal type, a cone
ommatidium with open
rhabdom, and lack of functional
spiracles on the eighth abdominal segment. Constituent superfamilies of Cucujiformia are
Cleroidea,
Cucujoidea,
Tenebrionoidea,
Chrysomeloidea, and
Curculionoidea. Evidently adoption of a phytophagous lifestyle correlates with taxon diversity in beetles, with Cucujiformia, especially
weevils (
Curculionoidea), forming a major radiation.
See also
*
List of subgroups of the order Coleoptera
References
*
External links
Phylogeny of InsectsSite devoted to Staphyliniformiasite devoted to stag beetlesnews article highlighting the damage caused by Longhorn beetles*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polyphaga
Insect suborders
Extant Triassic first appearances