Ciidae

Last updated

Ciidae
Falsocis brasiliensis HOLOTYPUS lateral.jpg
Falsocis brasiliensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Superfamily: Tenebrionoidea
Family: Ciidae
Leach in Samouelle, 1819
Subfamilies
Synonyms
  • Cioidae
  • Cisidae
  • Cissidae

The minute tree-fungus beetles, family Ciidae, are a sizeable group of beetles which inhabit Polyporales bracket fungi or coarse woody debris. [1] Most numerous in warmer regions, they are nonetheless widespread and a considerable number of species occur as far polewards as Scandinavia for example.

Contents

Description

As their name implies, minute tree-fungus beetles are tiny, about 0.5 to 5 mm long. Their body is short and cylindrical, often convex, sometimes with a smooth coat of fine short hairs, sometimes being covered in long bristly hairs. They are mostly dark brown or blackish. The short antennae consist of 8–10 segments. The pronotum is wider than long and often forming a quite prominent helmet-like structure. The elytra do not taper noticeably over most of their length. The legs are short, the tibiae of the forelegs often bear characteristic extensions at the ends.

Ecology

These beetles usually inhabit Polyporaceae or more rarely Corticiaceae bracket fungi. The larvae as well as the adults burrow inside the fungi, often choosing old specimens or old tissue. The whole development, from egg to adult, often takes as little as two months; some are parthenogenetic. A few species are pests of commercial fungi, as in the case of Cis chinensis , which infests dried fruiting-bodies of Ganoderma lucidum .

At least one ciid, Falsocis brasiliensis , is a threatened species. It occurs only in small forest remnants of the Northeast and Southeast Regions of Brazil.

Minute tree-fungus beetles are food for many predatory insects, like rove beetles (Staphylinidae), checkered beetles (Cleridae) and parasitoid wasp larvae.

List of genera

Cis chinensis (Ciinae: Ciini) Cis chinensis dorsal.jpg
Cis chinensis (Ciinae: Ciini)
Syncosmetus japonicus (Ciinae: Xylographellini) Syncosmetus japonicus DORSAL.jpg
Syncosmetus japonicus (Ciinae: Xylographellini)

Related Research Articles

Anoplocis is a genus of tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae.

Ceracis is a genus of tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae.

<i>Cis</i> (beetle) Genus of beetles

Cis is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae. There are at least 150 described species in Cis.

Ennearthron is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

Euxestocis is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

Hadreule is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

Octotemnus is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

<i>Orthocis</i> Genus of beetles

Orthocis is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

Paraxestocis is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

<i>Strigocis</i> Genus of beetles

Strigocis is a genus of minute tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae. There are at least five described species in Strigocis.

<i>Sulcacis</i> Genus of beetles

Sulcacis is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

Xylographus is a genus of tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.

Aliocis is a genus of tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae. It was described by Sandoval-Gómez and Lopes-Andrade in 2015, as a replacement name for the genus Anoplocis, preoccupied by a genus of true weevils.

Grossicis is a genus of tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae.

<i>Cis fuscipes</i> Species of beetle

Cis fuscipes, the minute tree-fungus beetle, is a species of minute tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae. It is found in Australia, the Caribbean, North America, Oceania, and Europe.

Cis creberrimus is a species of minute tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, and South America.

Ciini is a tribe of minute tree-fungus beetles in the family Ciidae. There are at least 30 genera in Ciini.

Ceracis thoracicornis is a species of minute tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae. It is found in North America.

Ceracis californicus is a species of minute tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1995). For a 4(d) Rule for the Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl on Non-federal Lands, Environmental Alternatives Analysis. Northwestern University. p. 137.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.