Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Zopherinae

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Kingdom
  
Phylum
  
Rank
  
Subfamily

Scientific name
  
Zopherinae

Higher classification
  
Order
  
Beetle

Zopherinae httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Similar
  
Beetle, Zopheridae, Zopherus, Insect, Nosoderma diabolicum

Zopherinae is a subfamily of beetles, commonly known as ironclad beetles. Together with the subfamily Usechinae, they have been treated historically as a family, but have recently been joined by several additional taxa, making the Zopheridae a much larger composite family, and the Zopherinae are now only a small component within it, consisting of seven genera in the tribe Zopherini and one genus, Phellopsis in its own tribe (Phellopsini).

These beetles are apparently fungivores and associated with rotting wood, and as the common name implies, have one of the hardest of all arthropod exoskeletons; in some species, it is almost impossible to drive an insect pin through their bodies without using a small drill to make a hole first.

When disturbed, ironclad beetles play dead.

Some species in the genus Zopherus in Mexico are decorated with costume jewelry glued to their bodies, and sold as living brooches, known as ma'kech.

Selected species

  • Genus Phellopsis LeConte, 1862
  • Phellopsis montana Casey, 1907Phellopsis obcordata (Kirby, 1837)Phellopsis porcataPhellopsis robustula Casey, 1907
  • Genus Nosoderma Solier, 1841
  • Nosoderma aequaleNosoderma diabolicum (LeConte, 1851)Nosoderma exsculptumNosoderma guatemalenseNosoderma inaequaleNosoderma plicatum (LeConte, 1859)Nosoderma sylvaticumNosoderma zunilense
  • Genus Zopherus Laporte, 1840
  • Zopherus championi Triplehorn, 1972Zopherus chilensisZopherus concolor LeConte, 1851Zopherus elegans Horn, 1870Zopherus gracilis Horn, 1867Zopherus granicollis Horn, 1885Zopherus jansoniZopherus jourdaniZopherus laevicollisZopherus nervosusZopherus nodulosus Solier, 1841Zopherus opacus Horn, 1867Zopherus sanctaehelenae (Blaisdell, 1931)Zopherus tristis LeConte, 1851Zopherus uteanus (Casey, 1907)Zopherus xestus Triplehorn, 1972

    References

    Zopherinae Wikipedia


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