Eucnemidae

Eucnemidae
Euryostus reichei from New Guinea. Mounted specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Elateriformia
Superfamily:	Elateroidea
Family:	Eucnemidae Eschscholtz, 1829
Synonyms
Phylloceridae Reitter, 1905 Melasidae Leach, 1817 Perothopidae Lacordaire, 1857

The Eucnemidae, false click beetles, are a family of polyphagan beetles including about 1700 species distributed worldwide.

Description

Closely related to the family Elateridae, specimens of Eucnemidae can reach a length of 2–30 mm (0.079–1.181 in). Bodies are slightly flattened and convex. The upper surfaces of the body usually has hairs, setae or scales.

Biology

Adults can usually be found in forests, on branches or under the bark of trees, especially in the abundance of dead wood. The larvae live in dead wood, but also in hard seasoned wood. Some species are soil-dwelling, living and feeding on the roots of dead trees.

Subfamilies

• Anischiinae Fleutiaux, 1936
• Eucneminae Eschscholtz, 1829
• Macraulacinae Fleutiaux, 1922
• Melasinae Leach, 1817
• Palaeoxeninae Muona, 1993
• Perothopinae Lacordaire, 1857 - perothopid beetles
• Phlegoninae Muona, 1993
• Phyllocerinae Reitter, 1905
• Pseudomeninae Muona, 1993

References

• Biolib
• Discover Life
• J. F. Lawrence, A. M. Hastings, M. J. Dallwitz, T. A. Paine and E. J. Zurcher Elateriformia (Coleoptera)
• SYNOPSIS OF THE DESCRIBED COLEOPTERA OF THE WORLD
• Muona, J. 1993. Review of the phylogeny, classification and biology of the family Eucnemidae (Coleoptera). Entomologica Scandinavica, Supplement No. 44, 133 pp.