Anthicidae

The Anthicidae are a family of beetles that resemble ants. They are sometimes called ant-like flower beetles or ant-like beetles. The family comprises over 3,500 species [1] in about 100 genera.

Anthicidae
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–Recent
Anthicus sp. male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Superfamily: Tenebrionoidea
Family: Anthicidae
Latreille, 1819
Subfamilies

Anthicinae
Copobaeninae
Eurygeniinae
Ischaliinae
Lemodinae
Macratriinae
Steropinae
Tomoderinae

Description
Profile of an anthicid
Members of the genus Anthelephila are ant-like in superficial appearance.

Their heads constrict just in front of the pronotum, forming a neck, and the posterior end of the pronotum is usually narrow as well. Legs and antennae are slender, heightening the ant-like appearance, and the body is sparsely covered with setae.

Biology

Adult beetles are omnivorous, being known to consume small arthropods, pollen, fungi, and whatever else they can find. Some species are of interest as biological control agents, as they can eat the eggs or larvae of pests. Larvae are either omnivorous, predators, or fungus-eaters; the young of one species of Notoxus have been observed boring into sweet potato tubers.

Many members of the family are attracted to cantharidin, which they seem to accumulate and that deters possible predators.

Taxonomy

Synonyms of the family include Notoxidae and Ischaliidae. The earliest known members of the family are from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) aged Lebanese amber, including Camelomorpha of the subfamily Macratriinae.[2]

References
  1. Telnov, Dmitry (2008). van Harten, Antonius (ed.). "Order Coleoptera, family Anthicidae". Arthropod fauna of the UAE. Dar Al Ummah Printing, Publishing, Distribution & Advertising, Abu Dhabi. 1: 270–292.
  2. Telnov, Dmitry; Bukejs, Andris (2019). "Catalogue and composition of fossil Anthicidae and Ischaliidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)". Palaeontologia Electronica. 22 (1). doi:10.26879/885.
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