Laemophloeidae

Laemophloeidae
Laemophloeus germaini
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Superfamily:	Cucujoidea
Family:	Laemophloeidae Ganglbauer, 1899
Genera
Acompsophloeus Thomas, 2010 Blubos Lefkovitch, 1962 Brontolaemus Sharp, 1885 Carinophloeus Lefkovitch, 1961 Caulonomus Wollaston, 1862 Charaphloeus Casey, 1916 Cryptolestes Ganglbauer, 1899 Cucujinus Arrow, 1920 Deinophloeus Sharp, 1899 Dysmerus Casey, 1884 Gannes Lefkovitch, 1962 Heterojinus Sengupta & Mukhopadhyay, 1978 Laemophloeus Laporte de Castelnau, 1840 Lathropus Erichson, 1845 Lepidophloeus Thomas, 1984 Leptophloeus Casey, 1916 Magnoleptus Lefkovitch, 1962 Mariolaemus Lefkovitch, 1962 Mestolaemus Lefkovitch, 1962 Metaxyphloeus Thomas, 1984 Microbrontes Reitter, 1874 Microlaemus Lefkovich, 1962 Narthecius J.LeConte, 1861 Nipponophloeus Sasaji, 1983 Notolaemus Lefkovitch, 1959 Odontophloeus Thomas, 1984 Parandrita J.LeConte & Horn, 1880 Passandrophloeus Kessel, 1921 Phloeipsius Casey, 1916 Phloeolaemus Casey, 1916 Placonotus MacLeay, 1871 Planolestes Lefkovitch, 1958 Pseudophloeus Yablokov-Khnzoryan, 1977 Rhabdophloeus Sharp, 1899 Rhinolaemus Steel, 1954 Rhinomalus Gemm, 1870 Rhinophloeus Sharp, 1899 Sinuatophloeus Kessel, 1921 Xylolestes Lefkovitch, 1962 Xylophloeus Lefkovitch, 1962

Laemophloeidae, "lined flat bark beetles," is a family in the superfamily Cucujoidea characterized by predominantly dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, head and pronotal discs bordered by ridges or grooves, and inverted male genitalia.^[1][2] Size range of adults is 1-5mm in length. Currently, it contains 40 genera and about 450 species,^[3] and is represented on all continents except Antarctica; species richness is greatest in the tropics.

Historically, Laemophloeidae was treated as a subfamily of Cucujidae, but starting in the middle of the 20th century,^[4] most of what had been treated as subfamilies of the Cucujidae were considered to be families.

Most laemophloeids, adults and larvae, are found under bark of dead trees, where they apparently are primarily fungivores,^[5] although some genera with adults having subcylindrical bodies (e.g., Leptophloeus, Dysmerus) occur in the galleries of bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), upon which they may feed.^[6] A few genera, but most particularly Cryptolestes, contain some species that are pests of stored grain products. The most important of these are C. ferrugineus (Stephens), C. pusillus (Schönherr), and C. turcicus (Grouvelle).^[7]

Several genera exhibit unusual modifications to male antennae (especially Cryptolestes, Dysmerus, and Microbrontes), with the scape expanded into hook-like or blade-like structures^[8][9] Several other genera (Rhinomalus, Rhinophloeus, and Metaxyphloeus) related to Laemophloeus are atypical in that the adults are rostrate to varying degrees^[10] Photographs of most world genera are available at,^[11] and most North American species are pictured at,^[12]

• 
  Odontophloeus sp.
• 
  Phloeolaemus hoplites.
• 
  Dysmerus symphilus.
• 
  Metaxyphloeus germaini.
• 
  Lepidophloeus exquisitus.

References

1. Thomas, M.C. 2002. Family 83. Laemophloeidae Ganglbauer 1899. Pp. 331-334 In: Arnett, R. H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley, and J. H. Frank (editors). 2002. American Beetles. Vol. 2. Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press, Boca Raton. xiv + 861pp.
2. Thomas, M. C., and R.A.B. Leschen. 2010. Laemophloeidae, Ganglbauer, 1899. p. 376-380. In: Leschen, R.A.B., R.G. Beutel, and J.F. Lawrence. Coleoptera, Beetles. Vol. 2: Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim). Handbook of Zoology. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.
3. Laemophloeidae Species List at Joel Hallan’s Biology Catalog. Texas A&M University. Retrieved on 15 May 2012.
4. Crowson, R.A. 1955. The natural classification of the families of Coleoptera. Nathaniel Lloyd, London, 187pp.
5. Lawrence, J.F. 1977. Coleoptera associated with an Hypoxylon species (Ascomycetes: Xylariaceae) on oak. Coleopterists Bulletin 31:309-312.
6. Thomas, M.C. 1993. The flat bark beetles of Florida (Laemophloeidae, Passandridae, Silvanidae). Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas 15: i-viii and 1-93.
7. Halstead, D.G.H. 1993. Keys for the identification of beetles associated with stored products-II. Laemophloeidae, Passandridae and Silvanidae. Journal of Stored Product Research 29(2): 99-197.
8. Lefkovitch, L.P. 1958. Unusual antennal characters in some Laemophloeinae (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) and their taxonomic importance. Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society, London (B) 27:93-100.
9. Thomas, M. C. 2009. A review of the genus Dysmerus Casey (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). Insecta Mundi 0074: 1-30.
10. Thomas, M.C. 1984. A new Neotropical genus and species of rostrate Laemophloeinae (Coleoptera: Cucujidae), with discussion of the systematic position of the subfamily. Coleopterists Bulletin 38:67-83.
11. Photographic Atlas of Laemophloeid Genera Retrieved 31 January 2014
12. Laemophloeidae of Florida Retrieved 31 January 2014