Beetles, of course! These are tiny (1-6 mm long), black-brown, elongate-oblong beetles that resemble click beetles (Elateridae). See photos here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/14532. The family is not at all diverse, 152 species known in the world, and poorly known. We know they are usually founded in decaying trees, where they may be eating mold. They even have mycetomes in their bodies that house bacteria (mycetomes function like rhizobia in plant-root nodules hosting bacteria). Juveniles are also frequently found in fungusy rotted logs.
Why am I blogging about this obscure family? To report more good news from the ‘Beetles of Peru’ project! Based on the trapping in Madre de Dios, we got specimens of these rare beetles in our Malaise trap and flight intercept trap. It turns out to be the first time the family is being reported from Peru, though this should be expected as Throscidae is known from Bolivia, Brazil and Ecuador. Experts of this family are even more rare than the beetles themselves, but Dr. Paul Johnson of South Dakota State University generously worked on the specimens for a new paper in the ‘Beetles of Peru’ series. Our findings will be published soon. The science of poorly-known Throscidae inches forward.
Read more:
J. F. Lawrence, A. M. Hastings, M. J. Dallwitz, T. A. Paine and E. J. Zurcher. Elateriformia (Coleoptera). http://delta-intkey.com/elateria/www/thro.htm
Johnson, P.J., & C.S. Chaboo. Accepted. First record of the family Throscidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), a new species of Aulonothroscus Horn, and new species records to the fauna of Peru. Revista Peruana de Biologia
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