Cleroidea is a small superfamily of beetles containing over 10,000 species. Most of the members of the group are somewhat slender, often with fairly soft, flexible elytra, and typically hairy or scaly.
Byrrhoidea is a superfamily of beetles belonging to Elateriformia that includes several families which are either aquatic or associated with a semi-aquatic habitat. Other than the superfamily Hydrophiloidea, most of the remaining Polyphagan beetles which are aquatic are in this superfamily.
The family Archeocrypticidae is a small group of beetles with no vernacular common name, though recent authors have coined the name cryptic fungus beetles. Adults and larvae seems to be saprophagous and are often found in plant litter. Worldwide, about 10 genera and 50 species are found, most species are pantropical. Enneboeus caseyi has been recorded from the American South, Central America, and Mexico. About 20 species are found in Australia, in the genera Enneboeus,Australenneboeus and Gondwanenneboeus,Archeocrypticus,Falsoplatydema, Nothenneboeus, Sivacrypticus and Wattianus. They are largely absent from the Palearctic and Nearctic regions.
The Boridae are a small family of tenebrionoid beetles with no vernacular common name, though recent authors have coined the name conifer bark beetles. The family contains three genera. Boros is native to North America and northern Eurasia, Lecontia is endemic to North America, while Synercticus is found in Australia and New Guinea. The larvae of Boros are found under bark and are especially associated with standing dead trees (snags), typically pines, found in old-growth forests. Lecontia larvae are found inhabiting damp parts of the root system of dead standing trees. Little is known of the life habits of Synercticus.
The family Mycteridae is a small group of tenebrionoid beetles with no vernacular common name, though recent authors have coined the name palm and flower beetles. The family Mycteridae is distributed worldwide. There are about 30 genera and 160 species in three subfamilies Mycterinae, Hemipeplinae and Lacconotinae (=Eurypinae). These 3 subfamilies are extremely diverse in appearance and are sometimes difficult to have a present diagnosis of the adults at the family level. About 20 species are found in Australia, species of three genera are found in North America The larvae are generally flattened and typically inhabit the spaces between leaves or the bases of fronds, where they appear to consume fungi.
The family Scraptiidae is a small group of tenebrionoid beetles sometimes called false flower beetles. There are about 400 species in 30 genera with a world-wide distribution. The adults are found on flowers, sometimes in large numbers, but are also found on foliage. The larvae are typically found under the bark of dead trees. The oldest fossils of the group date to the Eocene.
The Synchroidae are a small family of tenebrionoid beetles with no vernacular common name. The family consists of three extant genera, Mallodrya, Synchroa, and Synchroina, with a total of nine species., which are found in North America, East Asia and Southeast Asia. The larvae of species of Synchroa are known to feed on rotting cambium tissue found in deciduous trees, with adults being nocturnal. Most Synchroidae have been found to be within 10.0-13.00 mm in length.
Discolomatidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Coccinelloidea. It contains approximately 400 species in 16 genera, which are found mostly found in tropical regions, being largely absent from temperate regions. They have generally been found associated with decaying vegetation or fungi, and are therefore assumed to be fungivorous. Some species are associated with ants (myrmecophily). The larvae have unusual flattened sclerotised bodies, with heads that are concealed from above.
Lamingtonium is the only genus in the family Lamingtoniidae, of the beetle superfamily Cucujoidea. It contains three species endemic to Australia. The holotype of the type species was collected on at Lamington National Park, Binna Burra, Queensland under the bark of a dead tree. The adults and larvae of two species have been found associated with basidiocarps of fungi belonging to the family Polyporaceae.
Phloeostichidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Cucujoidea. They are typically found under the bark of dead trees. Larvae have been found to consume plant tissue and some fungi, while the adults appear to be exclusively fungivores. The family contains four extant genera, Phloeostichus is native to the Palearctic, Rhopalobrachium is native to central-southern South America and eastern Australia, Hymaea is native to southeastern Australia, and Bunyastichus is found in Tasmania.
Protocucujidae is a family of beetles, in the superfamily Cucujoidea. It has a single known genus, Ericmodes. Species of Ericmodes are native to southern South America and Eastern Australia. Little is known of their biology, though adults and larvae probably live on vegetation, with adults having also been found in leaf litter and in flight.
Smicripidae is a family of beetles, in the superfamily Cucujoidea. The common name for this family is palmetto beetles. The family only has one extant genus, Smicrips, with six extant species native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and extinct species from the Eocene of Europe and one extinct genus, Mesosmicrips, known from the mid Cretaceous aged Burmese amber. Smicrips larvae are usually found amongst decaying vegetation, while adults are typically found on inflorescences, especially those of Arecaceae (palms), although associations with flowers of Fabaceae (legumes), Passifloraceae, Bombacaceae and Cactaceae (cactus) have also been recorded. Their diet is unknown.
The Chalcodryidae are a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. It contains at least five species in two genera Chalcodrya and Philpottia, which are endemic to New Zealand. They are generally found associated with moss or lichen covered branches, with the larvae having been found to be associated with dead twigs. It is thought that they are noctural, feeding on lichen and other plant material at night. The genera Sirrhas and Onysius, formerly placed in this family, have subsequently been transferred to Promecheilidae.
Pterogeniidae is a family of beetles belonging to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. They are found in South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Adults and larvae have been found associated with the fruiting bodies of polypore fungi, although adults can also be found in litter and debris.
Stenotrachelidae, commonly called false longhorn beetles is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. They are native to the Holarctic region. The larvae feed on heavily decomposed wood, while the adults are likely short lived and probably feed on pollen.
Trachelostenus is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. It is native to the Valdivian forests of Chile, and has at least two species, T. inaequalis (Solier) and T. fascicularis (Philipp). It was historically considered the only member of the family Trachelostenidae, but a 2015 study sunk the genus into the tenebrionid subfamily Tenebrioninae.
The Ulodidae are a family of beetles belonging to Tenebrionoidea. They are native to the Southern Hemisphere, with species found in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Chile. Larvae and adults are generally found on dead wood or fungus associated with rotting wood, and are mycophagous. There are approximately 40 species in 16 genera.
Acanthocnemus nigricans is a species of cleroid beetle, the only species in the genus Acanthocnemus and the family Acanthocnemidae. Originally native to Australia, the species has spread in modern times to numerous parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, India and Southeast Asia. The insects are pyrophilous, congregating around areas of recently burned wood, being attracted to chemicals found in wood smoke. They have specialised infrared receptors located on the thorax close to the head, used to detect heat. Their life cycle is poorly understood, though mating and egg-laying likely occurs within ash. The larvae are possibly saprophagous.
Agapytho is the only genus of beetles in the family Agapythidae. The genus contains a single species, Agapytho foveicollis, which is endemic to New Zealand. Larvae and adults are found on sooty mold growing on Nothofagus trees. Gut contents indicate that at least adult Agapytho consume the sooty mould as part of their diet.
Metaxina is the only genus in the beetle family Metaxinidae. Its only species is Metaxina ornata. It endemic to the South island of New Zealand, where it is associated with sooty mold growing on Nothofagus trees. Both the larvae and adults are likely predaceous, feeding on insects and other arthropods. It is considered to be a member of the superfamily Cleroidea. Genetic studies have suggested that Metaxina should be considered a member of Chaetosomatidae, rather than constituting its own family.
