Erotylidae



Erotylidae, or the pleasing fungus beetles, is a family of beetles belonging to Cucujoidea containing over 100 genera. In the present circumscription, it contains 6 tribes (Tritomini, Dacnini, Megalodacnini, Erotylini, Cryptophilini, and Languriini) and 10 subfamilies (Cryptophilinae, Dacninae, Encaustinae, Erotylinae, Languriinae, Loberinae, Megalodacninae, Pharaxonothinae, Tritominae, and Xenoscelinae). In other words, the narrowly circumscribed Erotylidae correspond to the subfamily Erotylinae in the definition sensu lato. There are doubts on the monophyly of lower ranked taxa within Erotylidae, with further phylogenetic studies requiring better sampling and studies of unexplored character sets, for example the metendosternite and penile flagellum, which are generally lacking detailed morphological studies within the Coleoptera literature. The Eroytlina taxonomy is based on traits such as their different colors and not off morphological differences like mouthparts, thorax, and abdominal terminalia (Pecci-Maddalena).

Erotylidae feed on plant and fungal matter; some are important pollinators (e.g. of the ancient cycads), while a few have gained notoriety as pests of some significance. Sometimes, useful and harmful species are found in one genus, e.g. Pharaxonotha. Most pleasing fungus beetles, however, are inoffensive animals of little significance to humans.

The oldest fossil is an undescribed species known from Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Lebanese amber.

Selected genera
These 160 genera belong to the family Erotylidae:


 * Acropteroxys Gorham, 1887 i c g b
 * Acryptophagus
 * Aegithus Fabricius, 1801 g
 * Amblyopus Lacordaire, 1842 g
 * Amblyscelis Gorham, 1888
 * Anadastus Gorham, 1887 g
 * Apolybas Alvarenga, 1965 g
 * Atomarops Reitter
 * Aulacochilus Lacordaire, 1842
 * Bacis Dejean, 1836 g
 * Barytopus Chevrolat, 1836 g
 * Bolerus Grouvelle
 * Brachypterosa Zablotny & Leschen, 1996
 * Brachysphaenus
 * Caenolanguria Gorham, 1887 g
 * Callischyrus
 * Camptocarpus
 * Cathartocryptus Sharp, 1886 i c g
 * Chinophagus Ljubarsky, 1997
 * Cladoxena Motschulsky
 * Cnecosa
 * Coccimorphus Hope, 1841
 * Coelocryptus Sharp, 1900
 * Combocerus Bedel, 1868 g
 * Coptengis Crotch, 1876
 * Crotchia Fowler
 * Crowsenguptus
 * Cryptodacne Sharp, 1878 g
 * Cryptophilus Reitter, 1874 i c g b
 * Cycadophila Xu, Tang & Skelley, 2015 g
 * Cypherotylus Crotch, 1873
 * Cyrtomorphus Lacordaire, 1842 g
 * Cytorea
 * Dacne Latrielle, 1796
 * Dactylotritoma Arrow, 1925 g
 * Dapsa
 * Dasydactylus Gorham, 1887 i c g b
 * Doubledaya White, 1850 g
 * Ectrapezidera
 * Ellipticus Chevrolat, 1836 g
 * Empocryptus Sharp
 * Encaustes Lacordaire, 1842 g
 * Epilanguria Fowler, 1908 g
 * Episcapha Dejean, 1837
 * Episcaphula Crotch
 * Erotylina Curran, 1944 g
 * Erotylus Fabricius, 1775
 * Eutriplax Lewis, 1887
 * Fitoa
 * Goniolanguria
 * Haematochiton Gorham, 1888 i c g b
 * Hapalips Reitter, 1877 i c g b
 * Henoticonus Reitter, 1878
 * Hirsotriplax
 * Hirsutotriplax Skelley, 1993 i c g b
 * Homoeotelus Hope, 1841
 * Hoplepiscapha Lea, 1922
 * Hornerotylus g
 * Iphiclus Chevrolat, 1836 g
 * Ischyrus Lacordaire, 1842 i c g b
 * Languria Latreille, 1802 i c g b
 * Languriomorpha
 * Langurites Motschulsky, 1860 i c g b
 * Lepidotoramus Leschen, 1997 i c g
 * Leucohimatium Rosenhauer, 1856
 * Ligurana Chûjô, 1974 g
 * Linodesmus Bedel, 1882
 * Loberogosmus Reitter
 * Loberolus
 * Loberonotha Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1969 i c g
 * Loberopsyllus
 * Loberoschema Reitter
 * Loberus LeConte, 1861 i c g b
 * Lobosternum Reitter, 1875 i c g
 * Lybanodes
 * Lybas Lacordaire, 1842 g
 * Macromelea Hope
 * Macrophagus Motschulsky
 * Malleolanguria
 * Megalodacne Crotch, 1873 i c g b
 * Megischyrus Crotch, 1873 g
 * Meristobelus
 * Micrencaustes Crotch, 1875 g
 * Microlanguria Lewis
 * Microsternus Lewis, 1887 i c g b
 * Mimodacne
 * Mycetaea Stephens, 1829
 * Mycolybas Crotch, 1876
 * Mycophtorus Lacordaire, 1842 g
 * Mycotretus Lacordaire, 1842 i c g b
 * Neocladoxena Maeda, 1974 g
 * Neodacne Chûjô, 1976 g
 * Neoloberolus Leschen, 2003 i c g
 * Neopriotelus Alvarenga, 1965 g
 * Neosternus Dai & Zhao, 2013 g
 * Neotriplax Lewis, 1887
 * Neoxestus Crotch, 1875 g
 * Nomotus
 * Oligocorynus Chevrolat, 1836 g
 * Oretylus Heller, 1920 g
 * Ortholanguria
 * Othniocryptus Sharp, 1900
 * Pachylanguria Crotch, 1875 g
 * Paederolanguria Mader, 1939 g
 * Paphezia Zablotny & Leschen, 1996
 * Paracladoxena Fowler
 * Paraxonotha g
 * Pediacus
 * Penolanguria Kolbe
 * Pharaxonotha Reitter, 1875 i c g b
 * Phricobacis Crotch, 1876 g
 * Platoberus Sharp
 * Prepopharus Erichson, 1847 g
 * Promecolanguria
 * Protoloberus Leschen, 2003 i c g
 * Pselaphacus Percheron, 1835 g
 * Pselaphandra Jacobson, 1904
 * Pseudhapalips Champion
 * Pseudhenoticus Sharp
 * Pseudischyrus Casey, 1916 i c g b
 * Pseudotritoma Gorham, 1888 g
 * Rhodotritoma Arrow, 1925 g
 * Scaphengis Gorham, 1888 g
 * Scaphidomorphus Hope, 1841 g
 * Scaphodacne Heller, 1918
 * Scelidopetalon Delkeskamp, 1957 g
 * Setariola Jakobson, 1915 g
 * Sphenoxus Lacordaire, 1842 g
 * Spondotriplax Crotch, 1875 g
 * Stengita
 * Stenodina
 * Strongylosomus Chevrolat, 1836 g
 * Tapinotarsus Kirsch, 1865 g
 * Telmatoscius* Teretilanguria
 * Tetralanguria Crotch, 1875 g
 * Tetraphala g
 * Tetratritoma Arrow, 1925 g
 * Thallis
 * Thallisella Crotch
 * Thallisellodes Arrow, 1925 g
 * Tomarops Grouvelle, 1903
 * Toramus Grouvelle, 1916 i c g b
 * Trapezidera
 * Trapezidistes Fowler, 1887 g
 * Trichotritoma
 * Trichulus
 * Triplacidea Gorham, 1901
 * Triplax Herbst, 1793 i c g b
 * Tritoma Fabricius, 1775 i c g b
 * Truquiella b
 * Typocephalus Chevrolat, 1837 g
 * Xenocryptus Arrow, 1929
 * Xenohimatium Lyubarsky & Perkovsky, 2012 g
 * Xenoscelinus Grouvelle, 1910 g
 * Xenoscelis Wollaston, 1864 g
 * Xestus Wollaston, 1864 g
 * Zavaljus Reitter, 1880 g * Acropteroxys Gorham, 1887
 * Zonarius (= Oligocorynus)
 * Zythonia Westwood, 1874

Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net