| Sambomorpha | |
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| Genus: | Sambomorpha Obenberger, 1924 |
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12 | |
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. [1]
Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently. The largest of all families, the Curculionidae (weevils) with some 83,000 member species, belongs to this order. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.
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.
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers (770,000 sq mi), the nation is the fourth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of over 129 million people, Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world, while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City (CDMX), which is the capital city and its most populous city. Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, Tijuana, and León.
These beetles are mostly black in color, but some species have purplish or blue casts. [1]
Species include: [2]
- Sambomorpha aeneifrons (Kerremans, 1896)
- Sambomorpha argentiniensis Cobos, 1959
- Sambomorpha blairi Obenberger, 1940
- Sambomorpha catharinae Obenberger, 1924
- Sambomorpha chiapas Bellamy, 1997
- Sambomorpha clarki Hespenheide, 1990
- Sambomorpha corona Bellamy, 2007 [3]
- Sambomorpha costarica Bellamy, 1997
- Sambomorpha occidentalis Bellamy, 1997
- Sambomorpha panama Bellamy, 2007 [3]
- Sambomorpha quintana Bellamy, 1997
- Sambomorpha vicina Obenberger, 1940
