Phloiophilus Stephens, 1830

Kolibac, Jiri, 2013, Trogossitidae: A review of the beetle family, with a catalogue and keys, ZooKeys 366, pp. 1-194 : 89-90

Genus Phloiophilus Stephens, 1830 Figs 10 , 15 ; Map 9

Phloiophilus Stephens, J. F. 1830: 81.

Type species.

Phloiophilus edwardsii Stephens, 1830 [by monotypy]

Lohse, G. A. 1979: 83 ( Phloeophilus , sub Melyridae ). Majer, K. 1986: 114. Kolibáč, J. 2008: 105

Description.

Body size: about 3.0 mm. Body shape convex (not conglobate). Gular sutures wide, subparallel. Frontoclypeal suture absent. Frons: longitudinal groove or depression absent. Cranium ventrally: tufts of long setae at sides absent. Submentum: ctenidium absent. Antennal groove absent. Eyes: size moderate. Eyes number: two. Epicranial acumination absent. Lacinial hooks: two. Galea: shape sub-clavate. Galea: ciliate setae absent. Mediostipes-Lacinia fused together. Palpifer: outer edge even. Mandibular apical teeth number: two, horizontally situated. Mola absent. Penicillus (at base) present (fine, often membranous). Pubescence above mola or cutting edge present. Ventral furrow absent. Basal notch shallow or absent. Labrum-Cranium not fused. Epipharyngial sclerite absent. Lateral tormal process: projection projection not developed (all remaining). Ligula: ciliate setae absent. Ligula membranous, not retroflexed, deeply emarginate. Hypopharyngeal sclerite absent. Antenna 11-segmented. Antennal club symmetrical, sensorial fields absent. Front coxal cavities externally open, internally open. Pronotum transverse. Prepectus present. Middle coxal cavities open. Elytra: long hairs absent. Epipleuron thin. Elytral interlocking mechanism absent, carinae reduced. Elytral punctation irregular, scales absent. Wing: radial cell oblong (or reduced), wedge cell present, cross vein MP3-4 present, cross vein AA1+2-3+4 absent. Front tibiae: spines along side reduced. Hooked spur absent, apical spurs not hooked or weakly hooked. Claws: denticle absent. Tegmen composed of only one part. Coxitae divided.

Larva: Frontal arms curved (cucujoid). Epicranial stem reduced. Endocarina present. Gular sutures inconspicuous. Gula: anterior apodemes present. Paragular sclerites absent. Hypostomal rods absent. Stemmata number: five. Mandibular apical teeth number: two, horizontally even, vertically situated. Lacinia mandibulae tridentate. Mola absent. Maxillary palpi 3-segmented. Pedunculate seta absent. Mala simple. Mala: bidentate protrusion present. Ligula present. Labial palpi 2-segmented. Antennal joints 1, 2 transverse. Sensory appendix larger than half of joint 3. Thoracic sclerites pattern (dorsally) 1-0-0. Thoracic sclerites pattern (ventrally) 1+1+1. Abdominal segment IX not divided. Tergite IX flat. Urogomphi present, hooked; median process absent.

Biology.

Fungivorous. Crowson (1964b) noted adults and larvae from Great Britain: Adult and larva fungivorous, larvae feed beneath the thin and fleshy fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete Phlebia radiata Fr. of the Meruliaceae , which occurs on the dead wood of various deciduous trees (oak, beech, hazel), occasionally also conifers (pine). Adults are active in the warm days of autumn and winter (approximately, from late September to March). They have not been observed outside that period. They can be collected by sweeping from dry or decaying branches. Larvae may be found at all seasons, under the fruiting bodies of the fungus or under bark in spring and summer. Wielink et al. (2010) observed the species in the Netherlands and found adults active only by night. They live together with larvae on dead oak branches infested by the fungus Peniophora quercina .

Distribution.

Europe, North Africa.

Species:

Phloiophilus edwardsii Stephens, 1830; Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, North Africa (JK)

Audisio, P. et al. 1995: 14. Beutel, R. G. & Pollock, D. A. 2000: 826 (larva, morphology). Crowson, R. A. 1964b: 151 (biology). Gurlich, S. et al. 1995: 49. Klausnitzer, B. 1996: 161. Kolibáč, J. 1999: 12. Kolibáč, J. 2008: 120. Lohse, G. A. 1979: 83 ( Phloeophilus , sub Melyridae ). Majer, K. 1986: 114. Mayor, A. 2007: 363 (syn. Phloiophilus bimaculatus Stephens, 1830; synonymized by whom?). Mayor, A. 2007: 364 (syn. Phloiophilus cooperi Stephens, 1830; synonymized by whom?). H. Vogt 1967: 13. Wielink van, P. et al. 2010: 17 (biology)

Figures

Map 9. A distribution of the tribe Phloiophilini.

Figure 10. A Thymalus limbatus B Phloiophilus edwardsi C Eronyxa marginicollis D Decamerus haemorhoidalis E Diontolobus punctatipennis F Afrocyrona ciskeiensis G Afrocyrona dwesae H Grynoma sp., New Zealand I Grynoma diluta.

Figure 15. A-B Nemozoma elongatum (A cranium with longidutinal groove B detail of elongate punctures) C-D Peltis ferruginea (C elytral apex D antennal club, hooked spur and protarsus with large 5 th tarsomere) E-G Phloiophilus edwardsi (E metatarsal claws and empodium F projecting procoxae G ventral surface).