Alexiidae

Summary

Alexiidae is a family of beetles. It contains a single genus, Sphaerosoma, formerly included within the family Cerylonidae, with around 50 species which are native to the western Palearctic. Species of Sphaerosoma are very small, around 1 to 2 mm in length rounded beetles with clubbed antennae. They are fungivores, having been observed feeding on mushrooms, and have also been found in leaf litter and on decaying bark.[1]

Alexiidae
Sphaerosoma pilosum (Panzer, 1793) Size: 1.5 mm.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Superfamily: Coccinelloidea
Family: Alexiidae
Imhoff, 1856
Genus: Sphaerosoma
Stephens, 1832
Synonyms
  • Sphaerosoma Samouelle, 1819 (Nom. Nud.)
  • Alexia Stephens, 1833
  • Hygrotophila Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836
  • Lamprosphaerula Apfelbeck, 1910
  • Neosphaerula Apfelbeck, 1910
  • Arthrosphaerula Apfelbeck, 1915

Taxonomy edit

There has been considerable confusion regarding the type species and authorship of the genus; most older sources consider the author and species to be Sphaerosoma quercus Samouelle, 1819. That name is now considered to be a nomen nudum, and the valid name for Samouelle's species is Sphaerosoma piliferum (Müller, 1821). The type species is now considered to be Sphaerosoma quercus Stephens, 1832, which is itself a junior synonym of Sphaerosoma pilosum (Panzer, 1793).[2] Alexiidae has been recovered as part of the superfamily Coccinelloidea as the sister group of Latridiidae.[3]

Species edit

  • Sphaerosoma algiricum (Reitter, 1889)
  • Sphaerosoma alutaceum (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma antennarium Apfelbeck, 1909
  • Sphaerosoma apuanum Reitter, 1909
  • Sphaerosoma bicome Peyerimhoff, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma bosnicum (Reitter, 1885)
  • Sphaerosoma carniolicum Apfelbeck, 1915
  • Sphaerosoma carpathicum (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma circassicum (Reitter, 1888)
  • Sphaerosoma clamboides (Reitter, 1888)
  • Sphaerosoma compressum (Reitter, 1901)
  • Sphaerosoma corcyreum (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma csikii Apfelbeck, 1915
  • Sphaerosoma diversepunctatum Roubal, 1932
  • Sphaerosoma fiorii Ganglbauer, 1899
  • Sphaerosoma globosum (Sturm, 1807)
  • Sphaerosoma hemisphaericum Ganglbauer, 1899
  • Sphaerosoma hispanicum Obenberger, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma laevicolle (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma latitarse Apfelbeck, 1915
  • Sphaerosoma lederi (Reitter, 1888)
  • Sphaerosoma leonhardi Apfelbeck, 1915
  • Sphaerosoma libani Sahlberg, 1913
  • Sphaerosoma maritimum (Reitter, 1904)
  • Sphaerosoma merditanum Apfelbeck, 1915
  • Sphaerosoma meridionale (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma nevadense (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma normandi Peyerimhoff, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma obscuricorne Obenberger, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma obsoletum (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma paganetti Obenberger, 1913
  • Sphaerosoma piliferum (Müller, 1821)
  • Sphaerosoma pilosellum (Reitter, 1877)
  • Sphaerosoma pilosissimum (Frivaldszky, 1881)
  • Sphaerosoma pilosum (Panzer, 1793)
  • Sphaerosoma pubescens (Frivaldszky, 1881)
  • Sphaerosoma punctatum (Reitter, 1878)
  • Sphaerosoma puncticolle (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma purkynei Obenberger, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma rambouseki Apfelbeck, 1916
  • Sphaerosoma reitteri (Ormay, 1888)
  • Sphaerosoma rotundatum Obenberger, 1913
  • Sphaerosoma scymnoides (Reitter, 1885)
  • Sphaerosoma seidlitzi (Reitter, 1889)
  • Sphaerosoma shardaghense Apfelbeck, 1915
  • Sphaerosoma solarii Reitter, 1904
  • Sphaerosoma sparsum Reitter, 1909
  • Sphaerosoma sturanyi Apfelbeck, 1909
  • Sphaerosoma subglabrum Peyerimhoff, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma sublaeve (Reitter, 1883)
  • Sphaerosoma tingitanum Peyerimhoff, 1917
  • Sphaerosoma vallambrosae (Reitter, 1885)
  • Sphaerosoma winneguthi Apfelbeck, 1915

References edit

  1. ^ Ślipinśki, Adam and Tomaszewska, Wioletta. "10.30. Alexiidae Imhoff, 1856". Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim), edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 432-434.
  2. ^ Löbl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2010). "Errata for Volume 4". Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Volume 6. Chrysomeloidea. Stenstrup, Denmark: Apollo Books. ISBN 978-87-88757-84-2.
  3. ^ Cai, Chenyang; Tihelka, Erik; Giacomelli, Mattia; Lawrence, John F.; Ślipiński, Adam; Kundrata, Robin; Yamamoto, Shûhei; Thayer, Margaret K.; Newton, Alfred F.; Leschen, Richard A. B.; Gimmel, Matthew L.; Lü, Liang; Engel, Michael S.; Bouchard, Patrice; Huang, Diying (March 2022). "Integrated phylogenomics and fossil data illuminate the evolution of beetles". Royal Society Open Science. 9 (3): 211771. doi:10.1098/rsos.211771. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 8941382. PMID 35345430.

External links edit

  • Alexiidae Tree of Life
  •   Data related to Alexiidae at Wikispecies