Sap beetle
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The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family of beetles.
They are small (2–6mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and sap. Some sap beetle species coexist with fungi species and live in habitats of coniferous trees. These fungi-dependent beetles are found in all across Europe and Siberia and are the biggest nitidulid species known in those areas. Other species like the Australian Chychramptodes murrayi are known to feed on scale insects. There are a few pest species, like the strawberry sap beetle that infest crops in Brazil between the months of August and February.
Common types
Some common sap beetles include:
- the picnic beetle, Glischrochilus quadrisignatus
- the dusky sap beetle, Carpophilus lugubris
- the strawberry sap beetle, Stelidota geminata
- the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida
The oldest unambiguous fossils of the family date to the Early Cretaceous, belonging to the genus Crepuraea from the Aptian aged Zaza Formation of Russia.
Classification
The family includes these genera:[citation needed]
- Subfamily Calonecrinae Kirejtshuk, 1982
- Subfamily Maynipeplinae Kirejtshuk, 1998
- Subfamily Epuraeinae Kirejtshuk, 1986
- Subfamily Carpophilinae Erichson, 1842 Carpophilus Stephens, 1830 Epuraea Erichson, 1843 Urophorus Murray, 1864
- Subfamily Amphicrossinae Kirejtshuk, 1986
- Subfamily Meligethinae Thomson, 1859 Meligethes Stephens, 1830 Pria Stephens, 1830
- Subfamily Nitidulinae Latreille, 1802 Amphotis Erichson, 1843 Cychramus Kugelann, 1794 Cyllodes Erichson, 1843 Ipidia Erichson, 1843 Miskoramus Kirejtshuk & Lawrence, 1992 Nitidula Fabricius, 1775 Omosita Erichson, 1843 Physoronia Reitter, 1884 Pocadius Erichson, 1843 Soronia Erichson, 1843 Thalycra Erichson, 1843 Tumida Murray, 1867
- Subfamily Cillaeinae Kirejtshuk & Audisio, 1986 Cillaeopeplus Sharp, 1908
- Subfamily Cryptarchinae Thomson, 1859 Cryptarcha Shuckard, 1839 Glischrochilus Reitter, 1873 Pityophagus Shuckard, 1839
- Subfamily Cybocephalinae Jacquelin du Val, 1858 (now frequently elevated to family status as Cybocephalidae) Cybocephalus Erichson, 1844 Pastillus Endrödy-Younga, 1962
- Subfamily Prometopinae Prometopia
- incertae sedis Apetinus Conotelus Cyrtostolus Eunitidula Eupetinus Gonioryctus Goniothorax Haptoncus Kateretes Nesapterus Nesopetinus Notopeplus Orthostolus Stelidota Urophorus