The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 described species. They are commonly called auger beetles, false powderpost beetles, or horned powderpost beetles.
Anatomy
The head of most auger beetles cannot be seen from above, as it is downwardly directed and hidden by the thorax. Exceptions are the powderpost beetles (subfamily Lyctinae), and members of the subfamily Psoinae. Bostrychoplites cornutus has large, distinctive thoracic horns, and is found in parts of Africa and Arabia; it is often imported to Europe as larvae in African wooden bowls ("ethnic souvenirs") .
Fossils The fossil record of the family extends to the Cretaceous, with the oldest records being from the Cenomanian aged Charentese and Burmese ambers, belonging to the extant genus Stephanopachys and the extant subfamilies Dinoderinae and Polycaoninae.
Selected species This list is incomplete:
Amphicerus cornutus (Pallas, 1772) Apate terebrans (Pallas, 1772) Lichenophanes bicornis (Weber, 1801) Prostephanus truncatus (Horn, 1878) Xylobiops basilaris (Say, 1824)
Species found in Australia Dinoderus minutus (Fabricius) Lyctus brunneus (Stephens) Lyctus discedens Blackburn Lyctus parallelocollis Blackburn Mesoxylion collaris (Erichson) Mesoxylion cylindricus (Macleay) Minthea rugicollis (Walker) Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) - lesser grain borer Sinoxylon anale (Lesne) Xylion cylindricus Macleay Xylobosca bispinosa (Macleay) Xylodeleis obsipa Germar Xylopsocus gibbicollis (Macleay) Xylothrips religiosus (Boisduval) Xylotillus lindi (Blackburn)
Species found in New ZealandKlimaszewski, J., Watt, J. C., & Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. (1997). Coleoptera : family-group review and keys to identification. Manaaki Whenua Press.
Euderia squamosa Broun, 1880 Dinoderus minutus (Fabricius, 1775) Rhyzopertha sp. Lyctus brunneus (Stephens, 1829)
Species found in the United Kingdom Bostrichus capucinus Bostrychoplites cornutus (Olivier, 1790) Lyctus cavicollis Lyctus linearis (Goeze, 1877) Lyctus planicollis Lyctus sinensis Stephanopachys substriatus Trogoxylon parallelopipedum Fossil species †Discoclavata dominicana Poinar Jr., 2013
References
Bibliography
External links Lucid Fact Sheet Heterobostrychus aequalis, an oriental wood borer on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site Lyctus planicollis, southern lyctus beetle on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site Xylopsocus capucinus, a false powderpost beetle on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site