Buprestidae

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Buprestidae
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic–Recent
Wytsman.Genera.Insectorum.Buprestidae.02.jpg
Agrilinae (bottom row), Chrysochroinae (top row, left 3), and Buprestinae (others) from Genera Insectorum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Superfamily: Buprestoidea
Family: Buprestidae
Leach, 1815
Subfamilies

Agrilinae
Buprestinae
Chrysochroinae
Galbellinae
Julodinae
†Parathyreinae
Polycestinae
(but see text)

Contents

Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,500 species known in 775 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described. [1]

The larger and more spectacularly colored jewel beetles are highly prized by insect collectors. The elytra of some Buprestidae species have been traditionally used in beetlewing jewellery and decoration in certain countries in Asia, like India, Thailand and Japan.

Description and ecology

Shape is generally cylindrical or elongate to ovoid, with lengths ranging from 3 to 80 mm (0.12 to 3.15 in), although most species are under 20 mm (0.79 in). Catoxantha , Chrysaspis , Euchroma and Megaloxantha contain the largest species. A variety of bright colors are known, often in complicated patterns. The iridescence common to these beetles is not due to pigments in the exoskeleton, but instead is caused by structural coloration, in which microscopic texture in their cuticle selectively reflects specific frequencies of light in particular directions. This is the same effect that makes a compact disc reflect multiple colors.

The larvae bore through roots, logs, stems, and leaves of various types of plants, ranging from trees to grasses. The wood boring types generally favor dying or dead branches on otherwise-healthy trees, while a few types attack green wood; some of these are serious pests capable of killing trees and causing major economic damage, such as the invasive emerald ash borer. Some species are attracted to recently burned forests to lay their eggs. They can sense pine wood smoke from up to 50 miles away, and can see infrared light, helping them to zero in as they get closer to a forest fire. [2]

Ten species of flatheaded borers of the family Buprestidae feed on spruce and fir, but hemlock is their preferred food source (Rose and Lindquist 1985). [3] As with roundheaded borers, most feeding occurs in dying or dead trees, or close to injuries on living trees. Damage becomes abundant only where a continuing supply of breeding material is available. The life history of these borers is similar to that of the roundheaded borers, but some exceedingly long life cycles have been reported under adverse conditions. Full-grown larvae, up to 25 mm long, are characteristically flattened, the anterior part of the body being much broader than the rest. The bronzed adults are usually seen only where suitable material occurs in sunny locations.

Systematics

Jewel beetle classification is not yet robustly established, although there appear to be five or six main lineages, which may be considered subfamilies, possibly with one or two being raised to families in their own right. Some other systems define up to 14 subfamilies.

The earliest unambiguous members of the family are known from the Middle Jurassic, around 160 million years ago, earlier claimed records from the Triassic based on isolated elytra are not definitive. [4]

Subfamilies and selected genera

The commonly accepted subfamilies, with some representative genera, are:

Oak splendour beetle (Agrilus biguttatus) specimen (Agrilinae) Agrilus biguttatus bl.JPG
Oak splendour beetle ( Agrilus biguttatus ) specimen (Agrilinae)
Eurythyrea austriaca specimen (Buprestinae) Eurythyrea austriaca up2.jpg
Eurythyrea austriaca specimen (Buprestinae)
Temognatha alternata, a Buprestinae 2.6cm long from Cooktown, Australia Temognatha alternata Jewel Beetle Cooktown.jpg
Temognatha alternata , a Buprestinae 2.6cm long from Cooktown, Australia
Capnodis cariosa specimen (Chrysochroinae) Capnodis cariosa bl.JPG
Capnodis cariosa specimen (Chrysochroinae)
Julodis ehrenbergii specimen from Greece (Julodinae) Julodis ehrenbergii bl.jpg
Julodis ehrenbergii specimen from Greece (Julodinae)
Acmaeodera species (Polycestinae) Acmaeodera.jpg
Acmaeodera species (Polycestinae)

Agrilinae – cosmopolitan, with most taxa occurring in the Northern Hemisphere

Buprestinae – cosmopolitan

Chrysochroinae

Galbellinae

Julodinae

Polycestinae

Related Research Articles

<i>Chrysochroa</i> Genus of beetles

Chrysochroa is a genus of "jewel" or metallic wood-boring beetles, typical of the tribe Chrysochroini. Most of the many species are native to Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. However, a good number are found in India, one in Japan, in Korea, and one in Africa.

<i>Aaaaba</i> Genus of beetles

Aaaaba is a genus of beetles from the Buprestidae family. It inhabits locations along the east coast of Australia. It was described in 1864 by Achille Deyrolle as "Alcinous", a junior homonym of a genus of pycnogonids. In 2002, Charles Bellamy gave it the replacement name "Aaaba", but this proved to be another junior homonym, of a genus of sponges. In 2013, it was given a further replacement name, becoming Aaaaba.

<i>Temognatha</i> Genus of beetles

Temognatha is a genus of metallic wood-boring beetles. Over 85 species in the genus are native to Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agrilinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Agrilinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following genera:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buprestinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Buprestinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following genera in the tribes Anthaxiini, Buprestini, Chrysobothrini, Melanophilini, and Xenorhipidini:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysochroinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Chrysochroinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Buprestidae: the "jewel beetles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polycestinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Polycestinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Buprestidae: known as "jewel beetles".

Neotrachys is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. These are Neotropical beetles, and many are known to use ferns as their host plants.

Sambomorpha is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. They are native to the Americas from Mexico to Brazil and Argentina.

<i>Sambus</i> Genus of beetles

Sambus is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. There are some 165 species distributed across Africa, parts of Asia, and Oceania, including Australia.

Strigulia is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following species:

Tetragonoschema is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. There are 17 species in the genus, which is distributed throughout the Americas from Mexico to Patagonia.

<i>Euchroma giganteum</i> Species of beetle

Euchroma giganteum, the Metallic Wood Boring Beetle or Giant Metallic Ceiba Borer, is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, the only species in the genus Euchroma.

Euplectalecia is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following species:

Metataenia is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following species:

<i>Paracupta</i> Genus of beetles

Paracupta is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following species:

<i>Steraspis</i> Genus of beetles

Steraspis is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, containing the following species:

<i>Chrysochroa fulminans</i> Species of beetle

Chrysochroa fulminans is the type species of jewel beetle in its genus; it belongs to the family Buprestidae, tribe Chrysochroini and subgenus Chrysochroa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agrilini</span> Tribe of beetles

Agrilini is a tribe of metallic wood-boring beetles in the family Buprestidae. There are at least 40 described genera in Agrilini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dicercini</span> Tribe of beetles

Dicercini is a tribe of metallic wood-boring beetles in the family Buprestidae. There are more than 30 genera and over 750 described species in Dicercini.

References

  1. ↑ "The first fossil buprestids from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of China (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa . 2745: 53–62. 2011.
  2. ↑ H. Schmitz, H. Bleckmann (1998). "The photomechanic infrared receptor for the detection of forest fires in the beetle Melanophila acuminata (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)". J Comp Physiol A. 182: 647–657.
  3. ↑ Rose, A.H.; Lindquist, O.H. 1985. Insects of eastern spruces, fir and, hemlock, revised edition. Gov’t Can., Can. For. Serv., Ottawa, For. Tech. Rep. 23. 159 p. (cited in Coates et al. 1994, cited orig ed 1977)
  4. ↑ Yu, Yali; Ślipiński, Adam; Pang, Hong; Ren, Dong (January 2015). "A new genus and two new species of Buprestidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Liaoning, China". Cretaceous Research. 52: 480–489. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.04.014.

Further reading

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