Erotylidae

Erotylidae, or the pleasing fungus beetles, is a family of beetles belonging to Cucujoidea containing over 100 genera. In the present circumscription, it contains 6 tribes (Tritomini, Dacnini, Megalodacnini, Erotylini, Cryptophilini, and Languriini) and 10 subfamilies (Cryptophilinae, Dacninae, Encaustinae, Erotylinae, Languriinae, Loberinae, Megalodacninae, Pharaxonothinae, Tritominae, and Xenoscelinae). In other words, the narrowly circumscribed Erotylidae correspond to the subfamily Erotylinae in the definition sensu lato. There are doubts on the monophyly of lower ranked taxa within Erotylidae, with further phylogenetic studies requiring better sampling and studies of unexplored character sets, for example the metendosternite and penile flagellum, which are generally lacking detailed morphological studies within the Coleoptera literature. The Eroytlina taxonomy is based on traits such as their different colors and not off morphological differences like mouthparts, thorax, and abdominal terminalia (Pecci-Maddalena).

Pleasing fungus beetles Temporal range:
Triplax russica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Superfamily:	Cucujoidea
Family:	Erotylidae Latreille, 1802
Subfamilies
Cryptophilinae Casey, 1900 Dacninae Gistel, 1856 Encaustinae Crotch, 1876 Erotylinae Latreille, 1802 Languriinae Hope, 1840 Loberinae Bruce, 1951 Megalodacninae Sen Gupta, 1969 Pharaxonothinae Crowson, 1952 Tritominae Curtis, 1834 Xenoscelinae Ganglbauer, 1899

Toramus pulchellus

Ischyrus quadripunctatus

Acropteroxys gracilis (tribe Languriini)

Erotylidae feed on plant and fungal matter; some are important pollinators (e.g. of the ancient cycads), while a few have gained notoriety as pests of some significance. Sometimes, useful and harmful species are found in one genus, e.g. Pharaxonotha. Most pleasing fungus beetles, however, are inoffensive animals of little significance to humans.

The oldest fossil is an undescribed species known from Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Lebanese amber.

Selected genera

These 160 genera belong to the family Erotylidae:

• Acropteroxys Gorham, 1887 ^{i c g b}
• Acryptophagus
• Aegithus Fabricius, 1801 ^g
• Amblyopus Lacordaire, 1842 ^g
• Amblyscelis Gorham, 1888
• Anadastus Gorham, 1887 ^g
• Apolybas Alvarenga, 1965 ^g
• Atomarops Reitter
• Aulacochilus Lacordaire, 1842
• Bacis Dejean, 1836 ^g
• Barytopus Chevrolat, 1836 ^g
• Bolerus Grouvelle
• Brachypterosa Zablotny & Leschen, 1996
• Brachysphaenus
• Caenolanguria Gorham, 1887 ^g
• Callischyrus
• Camptocarpus
• Cathartocryptus Sharp, 1886 ^{i c g}
• Chinophagus Ljubarsky, 1997
• Cladoxena Motschulsky
• Cnecosa
• Coccimorphus Hope, 1841
• Coelocryptus Sharp, 1900
• Combocerus Bedel, 1868 ^g
• Coptengis Crotch, 1876
• Crotchia Fowler
• Crowsenguptus
• Cryptodacne Sharp, 1878 ^g
• Cryptophilus Reitter, 1874 ^{i c g b}
• Cycadophila Xu, Tang & Skelley, 2015 ^g
• Cypherotylus Crotch, 1873
• Cyrtomorphus Lacordaire, 1842 ^g
• Cytorea
• Dacne Latrielle, 1796
• Dactylotritoma Arrow, 1925 ^g
• Dapsa
• Dasydactylus Gorham, 1887 ^{i c g b}
• Doubledaya White, 1850 ^g
• Ectrapezidera
• Ellipticus Chevrolat, 1836 ^g
• Empocryptus Sharp
• Encaustes Lacordaire, 1842 ^g
• Epilanguria Fowler, 1908 ^g
• Episcapha Dejean, 1837
• Episcaphula Crotch
• Erotylina Curran, 1944 ^g
• Erotylus Fabricius, 1775
• Eutriplax Lewis, 1887
• Fitoa
• Goniolanguria
• Haematochiton Gorham, 1888 ^{i c g b}
• Hapalips Reitter, 1877 ^{i c g b}
• Henoticonus Reitter, 1878
• Hirsotriplax
• Hirsutotriplax Skelley, 1993 ^{i c g b}
• Homoeotelus Hope, 1841
• Hoplepiscapha Lea, 1922
• Hornerotylus ^g
• Iphiclus Chevrolat, 1836 ^g
• Ischyrus Lacordaire, 1842 ^{i c g b}
• Languria Latreille, 1802 ^{i c g b}
• Languriomorpha
• Langurites Motschulsky, 1860 ^{i c g b}
• Lepidotoramus Leschen, 1997 ^{i c g}
• Leucohimatium Rosenhauer, 1856
• Ligurana Chûjô, 1974 ^g
• Linodesmus Bedel, 1882
• Loberogosmus Reitter
• Loberolus
• Loberonotha Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1969 ^{i c g}
• Loberopsyllus
• Loberoschema Reitter
• Loberus LeConte, 1861 ^{i c g b}
• Lobosternum Reitter, 1875 ^{i c g}
• Lybanodes
• Lybas Lacordaire, 1842 ^g
• Macromelea Hope
• Macrophagus Motschulsky
• Malleolanguria
• Megalodacne Crotch, 1873 ^{i c g b}
• Megischyrus Crotch, 1873 ^g
• Meristobelus
• Micrencaustes Crotch, 1875 ^g
• Microlanguria Lewis
• Microsternus Lewis, 1887 ^{i c g b}
• Mimodacne
• Mycetaea Stephens, 1829
• Mycolybas Crotch, 1876
• Mycophtorus Lacordaire, 1842 ^g
• Mycotretus Lacordaire, 1842 ^{i c g b}
• Neocladoxena Maeda, 1974 ^g
• Neodacne Chûjô, 1976 ^g
• Neoloberolus Leschen, 2003 ^{i c g}
• Neopriotelus Alvarenga, 1965 ^g
• Neosternus Dai & Zhao, 2013 ^g
• Neotriplax Lewis, 1887
• Neoxestus Crotch, 1875 ^g
• Nomotus
• Oligocorynus Chevrolat, 1836 ^g
• Oretylus Heller, 1920 ^g
• Ortholanguria
• Othniocryptus Sharp, 1900
• Pachylanguria Crotch, 1875 ^g
• Paederolanguria Mader, 1939 ^g
• Paphezia Zablotny & Leschen, 1996
• Paracladoxena Fowler
• Paraxonotha ^g
• Pediacus
• Penolanguria Kolbe
• Pharaxonotha Reitter, 1875 ^{i c g b}
• Phricobacis Crotch, 1876 ^g
• Platoberus Sharp
• Prepopharus Erichson, 1847 ^g
• Promecolanguria
• Protoloberus Leschen, 2003 ^{i c g}
• Pselaphacus Percheron, 1835 ^g
• Pselaphandra Jacobson, 1904
• Pseudhapalips Champion
• Pseudhenoticus Sharp
• Pseudischyrus Casey, 1916 ^{i c g b}
• Pseudotritoma Gorham, 1888 ^g
• Rhodotritoma Arrow, 1925 ^g
• Scaphengis Gorham, 1888 ^g
• Scaphidomorphus Hope, 1841 ^g
• Scaphodacne Heller, 1918
• Scelidopetalon Delkeskamp, 1957 ^g
• Setariola Jakobson, 1915 ^g
• Sphenoxus Lacordaire, 1842 ^g
• Spondotriplax Crotch, 1875 ^g
• Stengita
• Stenodina
• Strongylosomus Chevrolat, 1836 ^g
• Tapinotarsus Kirsch, 1865 ^g
• Telmatoscius* Teretilanguria
• Tetralanguria Crotch, 1875 ^g
• Tetraphala ^g
• Tetratritoma Arrow, 1925 ^g
• Thallis
• Thallisella Crotch
• Thallisellodes Arrow, 1925 ^g
• Tomarops Grouvelle, 1903
• Toramus Grouvelle, 1916 ^{i c g b}
• Trapezidera
• Trapezidistes Fowler, 1887 ^g
• Trichotritoma
• Trichulus
• Triplacidea Gorham, 1901
• Triplax Herbst, 1793 ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma Fabricius, 1775 ^{i c g b}
• Truquiella ^b
• Typocephalus Chevrolat, 1837 ^g
• Xenocryptus Arrow, 1929
• Xenohimatium Lyubarsky & Perkovsky, 2012 ^g
• Xenoscelinus Grouvelle, 1910 ^g
• Xenoscelis Wollaston, 1864 ^g
• Xestus Wollaston, 1864 ^g
• Zavaljus Reitter, 1880 ^g* Acropteroxys Gorham, 1887
• Zonarius (= Oligocorynus)
• Zythonia Westwood, 1874

Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net

References

• Leschen, Richard A B (2003). Erotylidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cucujoidea): phylogeny and review (Part 1). Fauna of New Zealand. Vol. 47. Manaaki Whenua Press, New Zealand. pp. 108 pp. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.47. ISBN 9780478093506.
• J. A. Robertson, J. V. McHugh & M. F. Whiting (2004). "A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the pleasing fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae): evolution of colour patterns, gregariousness and mycophagy". Systematic Entomology. 29 (2): 173–187. Bibcode:2004SysEn..29..173R. doi:10.1111/j.0307-6970.2004.00242.x. S2CID 49331843.
• T. Sen Gupta & R. A. Crowson (1971). "A review of the classification of the family Languriidae (Coleoptera: Clavicornia) and the place of Languriidae in the natural system of Clavicornia". Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India. 15 (2): 1–42.
• P. Węgrzynowicz (2002). "Morphology, phylogeny and classification of the family Erotylidae based on adult characters (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea)" (PDF). Genus. 13 (4): 435–504. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2007-08-16.

External links

• Media related to Erotylidae at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Erotylidae at Wikispecies
• Key to the British species of family Erotylidae