Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig.
63 A wireworm,
Agriotes lineatus -
family
Elateridae (x3).
Fig.
64 Pronotum of an adult glow-worm - family
Lampyridae.
Superfamily CANTHAROIDEA
An ill-defined group of narrow, elongate, soft-
bodied beetles; elytra also soft and often clothed
in a short, velvet-like pubescence. Larvae and
adults of some species are predacious on
invertebrates.
7. Family CANTHARIDAE
A group of carnivorous, often brightly coloured,
beetles; adults often congregate on umbelli-
ferous flowers.
EXAMPLE:
Rhagonycha fulva
(soldier beetle).
8. Family LAMPYRIDAE
Beetles with luminous organs present in at least
one sex; males usually winged but females often
apterous and without elytra (= larviform);
pronotum in both sexes shield-like and com-
pletely covering the head
(Fig.
64). Larvae are
predacious on slugs and snails.
EXAMPLE:
Lampyris noctiluca
(glow-worm).
Fig.
65 Larva of a carpet beetle (= 'woolly bear'),
Anthrenus verbasci -
family Dermestidae (xf 0).
Superfamily
BOSTRICHOIDEA
Adults with the pronotum extended forward as a
hood over the head; most species are wood-
borers, with soft-bodied, scarabeiform larvae,
but some are of significance as pests of stored
products. The family Anobiidae includes two
notorious household pests:
Anobium punctatum
(common furniture beetle) and
Xestobium
rufovillosum
(death-watch beetle).
Superfamily DERMESTOIDEA
9. Family DERMESTIDAE
Small or medium-sized beetles, the adults
clothed in hairs or scales; head with a large
ocellus dorsally; apical three segments of anten-
nae forming a club; tarsi 5-segmented. Larvae
very hairy
(Fig.
65) and often called 'woolly
bears'; mainly scavengers, several species caus-
ing damage to stored products.
EXAMPLES:
Anthrenus
spp. (carpet beetles),
Trogoderma granarium
(khapra beetle).
10. Family BOSTRICHIDAE
Antennae of adult 3-segmented; pronotum
distinctly hood-like. A mainly tropical family,
