Phellopsis porcata is a beetle of the family Zopheridae. Its range includes parts of North America.

Phellopsis porcata
Phellopsis porcata, adult
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Subfamily:
Genus:
Species:
P. porcata
Binomial name
Phellopsis porcata
(LeConte, 1853)

Biology

edit

Both adults and larvae feed on fungi, including Piptoporus betulinus (Polyporales) on birch (Betula papyrifera, B. lenta) and Heterobasidion annosum (Bondarzewiaceae) on balsam fir (Abies balsamea).They have also been reported to feed on fungi on western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and on Lentinus (Polyporaceae).[1][2] Adults feed on the surface, while larvae burrow into the substrate

When threatened, adult beetles will use thanatosis (feigning death) to avoid predators. This behavior is known from several other species in the Zopherinae.[2]

Range

edit

It is found in the western United States and Canada.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Phellopsis porcata (ironclad beetles)". Project Noah. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  2. ^ a b c Foley, Ian; Ivie, Michael (2008). "A revision of the genus Phellopsis LeConte (Coleoptera: Zopheridae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1689: 1–28. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.1689.1.1. S2CID 4503384. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-07.