Placonotus is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae. There are 40 currently recognized species, known from all continents except Antarctica. Placonotus species are small (~2mm), elongate, flattened beetles, characterized by long filiform antennae, presence of a frontoclypeal suture, open anterior coxal cavities, and broadly rounded intercoxal process of abdominal ventrite III. Males have the 8th abdominal segment modified to form claspers used during mating.[1] Adults and larvae are found under dead bark, where they feed on fungi. Currently recognized species are:
- Placonotus africanus Lefkovitch
- Placonotus arizonensis Thomas
- Placonotus bolivari Grouvelle
- Placonotus debanus Mukhopadhyay
- Placonotus decoratus Grouvelle
- Placonotus dolce Lefkovitch
- Placonotus donacioides Wollaston
- Placonotus ealaensis Lefkovitch
- Placonotus embuensis Thomas
- Placonotus exornatus Grouvelle
- Placonotus falinorum Thomas
- Placonotus gladiator Thomas
- Placonotus granulatus Wollaston
- Placonotus himalaicus Mukhopadhyay & Sen Gupta
- Placonotus infimus Sharp
- Placonotus keralicus Mukhopadhyay & Sen Gupta
- Placonotus macrognathus Thomas
- Placonotus majus Lefkovitch
- Placonotus maya Thomas
- Placonotus mestus Lefkovitch
- Placonotus modestus Say
- Placonotus mossus Lefkovitch
- Placonotus nitens LeConte
- Placonotus orientalis Grouvelle
- Placonotus pallentipennis Reitter
- Placonotus patruelis Thomas
- Placonotus planifrons Thomas
- Placonotus politissimus Wollaston
- Placonotus proximus Grouvelle
- Placonotus pseudomodestus Thomas
- Placonotus pseudoproximus Mukhopadhyay & Sen Gupta
- Placonotus rigidus Olliff
- Placonotus saudicus Slipinski
- Placonotus subgranulatus Grouvelle
- Placonotus subtestaceus Grouvelle
- Placonotus subtruncatus Lefkovitch
- Placonotus tastus Lefkovitch
- Placonotus testaceus Fabricius
- Placonotus torsus Mukhopadhyay & Sen Gupta
- Placonotus zimmermanni LeConte
| Placonotus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Placonotus macrognathus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Superfamily: | Cucujoidea |
| Family: | Laemophloeidae |
| Genus: | Placonotus MacLeay, 1871 |
The genus has been treated taxonomically for several geographical regions: the New World;[1] Africa;[2] Europe;[3] and India.[4] The Asian, Pacific, and Australian faunas have not been worked and there are probably many unassigned and undescribed species.
References
edit- ^ a b Thomas, M.C. 1984. A revision of the New World species of Placonotus Macleay (Coleoptera: Cucujidae: Laemophloeinae). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods 3:vii + 28pp.
- ^ Lefkovitch, L.P. 1962. A revision of African Laemophloeinae (Coleoptera: Cucujidae). Bulletin British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 12:167-245.
- ^ Lefkovitch, L.P. 1959. A revision of European Laemophloeinae (Coleoptera: Cucujidae). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 111:95-118.
- ^ Mukhopadhyay, P., and T. Sen Gupta. 1977. Studies on Placonotus (Coleoptera: Cucujidae: Laemophloeinae) from India. Oriental Insects 11: 555-566.