Description
Silvanids generally are small, brownish, flattened, pubescent and densely punctured beetles ranging from 1.2-15mm in length, and mostly with a 5-5-5 tarsal formula. They have short, strongly clubbed, to very elongate antennae, and frequently grooves or carinae on the head and/or pronotum. Many genera have the lateral margins of the pronotum dentate or denticulate. The family is divided unequally into two subfamilies: Brontinae and Silvaninae. The Brontinae, arranged in two tribes (Brontini and Telephanini) of 10 genera each, are larger, loosely jointed beetles with long antennae, an especially elongate scape, inverted male genitalia, and mandibular mycangia. Both brontine tribes have recently been reviewed at the genus level.Thomas, M. C. 2004. The Brontini of the world: A generic review of the tribe (Coleoptera: Silvanidae: Brontinae). Insecta Mundi 17: 1-31 (2003). The Silvaninae, which has not been divided into tribes, consists of 48 genera of mostly smaller beetles characterized by their closed procoxal cavities, mostly without mandibular mycangia, and non-inverted male genitalia.Taxonomy
The largest genera are ''Telephanus'' (109 species), ''Psammoecus'' (81 species), and ''Cryptamorpha'' (27 species) (all Brontinae: Telephanini) and the Old World silvanine genus ''Airaphilus'' (35 species). There have been a number of major taxonomic studies in the Silvanidae in recent decades, including Halstead (1973), Sen Gupta and Pal (1996), Pal (1981, 1985), and Karner (1995, 2012).Biology and habitats
Although all silvanids seem to be primarily fungivorous, the habitat where the various taxa are found varies. Members of the tribe Brontini primarily are found under dead bark, although ''Brontoliota'' are found on the outside of dead wood lying on the ground in wet forests and ''Protodendrophagus'' occur under rocks in alpine areas of New Zealand. Brontini do not have lobed tarsomeres. Members of Telephanini usually occur on withered, pendant leaves, especially of Musaceae and Heliconiaceae. Telephanini usually have lobed tarsomeres. Silvaninae are found in subcortical habitats as well as in leaf-litter and soil. Two genera, ''Nepharis'' and ''Nepharinus'', are inquilines of ants in Australia, and two species of ''Coccidotrophus'' and one of ''Eunausibius'' occur in the petioles of ant-plants (''Tachigalia'' spp.) in the American tropics, where they feed on honeydew produced by a mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).Genera
*'' Acathartus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Acorimus'' Halstead, 1980 *'' Afrocorimus'' Halstead, 1980 *'' Afronausibius'' Halstead, 1980 *'' Ahasverus'' Des Gozis, 1881 *'' Airaphilus'' Redtenbacher, 1858 *'' Aplatamus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Astilpnus'' Perris, 1866 *'' Australodendrophagus'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Australohyliota'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Austronausibius'' Halstead, 1980 *'' Austrophanus'' Thomas 2008 *'' Brontoliota'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Brontopriscus'' Sharp, 1886 *'' Calpus'' Halstead, 1973 *'' Cathartosilvanus'' Grouvelle, 1913 *'' Cathartus'' Reiche, 1854 *'' Coccidotrophus'' Schwarz & Barber, 1921 *'' Cryptamorpha'' Wollaston, 1854 *'' Dendrophagella'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Dendrophagus'' Schoenherr, 1809 *'' Eunausibius'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Euplatamus'' Sharp 1899 *'' Indophanus'' Pal, 1982 *'' Macrohyliota'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Megahyliota'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Megapsammoecus'' Karner, 1995 *'' Metacorimus'' Halstead, 1997 *'' Microhyliota'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Monanus'' Sharp, 1879 *'' Nausibius'' Redtenbacher, 1858 *'' Neosilvanus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Nepharinus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Nepharis'' Laporte de Castelnau, 1869 *'' Notophanus'' Thomas, 2011 *'' Oryzaephilus'' Ganglbauer, 1899 *'' Parahyliota'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Parasilvanus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Pensus'' Halstead, 1973 *'' Protodendrophagus'' Thomas, 2004 *'' Protosilvanus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Psammaechidius'' Fairmaire, 1869 *'' Psammoecus'' Latreille in Cuvier, 1829 *'' Pseudonausibius'' Halstead, 1980 *'' Pseudosilvanus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Saunibius'' Halstead, 1997 *'' Silvaninus'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Silvanoides'' Halstead, 1973 *'' Silvanolomus'' Reitter, 1912 *'' Silvanoprus'' Reitter, 1911 *'' Silvanops'' Grouvelle, 1912 *'' Silvanopsis'' Grouvelle, 1892 *'' Silvanosoma'' Brèthes, 1922 *'' Silvanus'' Latreille, 1807 *'' Synobius'' Sharp, 1899 *'' Synoemis'' Pascoe, 1863 *'' Telephanus'' Erichson, 1845 *'' Uleiota'' Latreille, 1796Extinct genera
* Subfamily Brontinae Erichson, 1845 ** Tribe Brontini Erichson, 1845 *** †'' Cretoliota'' Liu, Slipiñski, Wang et Pang, 2019References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1002442 Cucujoidea families