- Source: Soldier beetle
The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One of the first described species has a color pattern reminiscent of the red coats of early British soldiers, hence the common name. They are also known commonly as leatherwings because of their soft elytra.
Historically, these beetles were placed in a superfamily "Cantharoidea", which has been subsumed by the superfamily Elateroidea; the name is still sometimes used as a rankless grouping, including the families Cantharidae, Lampyridae, Lycidae, Omethidae (which includes Telegeusidae), Phengodidae, and Rhagophthalmidae.
Soldier beetles often feed on nectar and pollen as well as predating other small insects. The larvae are caterpillar like, dark colored, active and covered in fine hairs, earning them the name velvet worms. They feed on the ground and in foliage hunting eggs, small insects, snails and other small creatures.
Evolutionary history
The oldest described member of the family is Molliberus from the Early Cretaceous (early Albian) aged El Soplao amber from Cantabria, Spain, belonging to the tribe Cantharini in the subfamily Cantharinae. Other described genera include 6 from the early Late Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) aged Burmese amber, with 5 belonging to Cantharinae and one to Malthininae, and Katyacantharis, from the Cenomanian aged Agdzhakend amber of Azerbaijan, suggested to belong to Cantharinae. Indeterminate specimens have been reported from the Aptian aged Koonwarra fossil bed of the Strzelecki Group, Australia and the Barremian aged Lebanese amber.
Subfamilies, tribes and selected genera
Five subfamilies are normally accepted:
= Cantharinae
=tribe Cantharini
Cantharis
Rhagonycha
tribe Podabrini
Podabrus
= Chauliognathinae
=tribe Chauliognathini
Belotus
Chauliognathus
tribe Ichthyurini
Trypherus
= Dysmorphocerinae
=Afronycha Wittmer, 1949 - central-southern Africa
Asilis Broun, 1893 - New Zealand
Compsonycha
Dysmorphocerus Solier, 1849
Flabelloontelus
Geigyella Wittmer, 1972 - New Guinea
Hansasilis
Heteromastix Boheman, 1858 - Australia
Hyponotum
Micronotum
Neoontelus Wittmer, 1972 - New Zealand
Oontelus Solier, 1849 - S. America
Plectocephalon
Plectonotum Gorham, 1891 - Americas
= Malthininae
=tribe Malchinini
Macrocerus Motschulsky, 1845 - Europe (synonym Malchinus)
tribe Malthinini
Caccodes Sharp, 1885 - Central America, Pacific islands
Malthinellus Kiesenwetter, 1874 - Japan
Malthinus Latreille, 1805 - Japan, Europe, N. America
tribe Malthodini
Frostia Bert. ex Guill.
Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 - mostly Europe, N. America & New Zealand
†Archaeomalthodes Hsiao et al. 2016 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
= Silinae
=tribe Silini
Cordylocera Guérin-Méneville, 1830
Silis Charpentier, 1825
tribe Tytthonyxini
Tytthonyx LeConte, 1851
Reproduction
Large males of the soldier beetle exercise choice for larger females. Body size correlates with the abilities of males to secure females, and of females to evade males.
See also
List of Cantharidae genera
References
External links
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Kumbang
- Daftar film terlaris
- Hydrophilidae
- Polyphaga
- Kumbang kentang Colorado
- Chrysomeloidea
- Cerambycidae
- Kamen Rider Decade
- Kumbang macan
- Nebria angustula
- Soldier beetle
- Goldenrod soldier beetle
- Beetle
- Chauliognathus lugubris
- Rhagonycha fulva
- Harmonia axyridis
- Coccinellidae
- Coleoptera paleobiota of Burmese amber
- Chauliognathus basalis
- Chauliognathus marginatus
