Histeridae
Histeridae Temporal range:
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Central European clown beetles with larvae and anatomical details | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Infraorder: | Staphyliniformia |
Superfamily: | Histeroidea |
Family: | Histeridae Gyllenhal, 1808 |
Subfamilies[1] | |
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Diversity | |
at least 410 genera |
Histeridae is a
Characteristics
The hister beetles are easily identified by their shiny
Etymology
Histeridae was named by Leonard Gyllenhaal. Histeridae has two common names, the “clown” beetle and the “hister” beetle. There have been several theories explaining the origin of these common names.[4] One theory for the “hister” nickname comes from the work of Juvenal, a Roman poet. Juvenal used the word “hister” to mean a dirty, lowly being. Another theory for the origin of this beetle's name stems from the fact that in Latin, “hister” means actor.[5] Many people believe the name is associated with the hister beetles’ ability to imitate death when they are disturbed. Still, some believe this family of beetles was named for its physical characteristics.[citation needed] Clown beetles have flattened legs, which can be compared to a clown's flat shoes or loose-fitting pants.
Anatomy
The
Clown beetles have an open
Habitat
Hister beetles are found throughout the world in various habitats. Histeridae have been located in North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, but each hister beetle occupies certain niches. The beetles live in dung, carrion, dead vegetation, sandy areas, under tree bark, mammal burrows, and ant/termite colonies. Charactertistics of the hister beetle are dependent upon its habitat. For example, the flat hister beetles are found under bark, while the cylindrical beetles are not. The shape of the beetle will vary from species to species.
A remarkable ability of some hister beetles is their capacity to live in close proximity with
Histeridae live in widespread habitats because they feed on other
Evolutionary history
The oldest record of the family is Antigracilus from the Aptian aged Yixian Formation of China, which was resolved as the sister species to all living members of the family. The oldest crown group representatives are known from the Burmese amber, around 99 million years old, including those belonging to the extant subfamily Haeteriinae,[9] and the living genus Onthophilus.[10]
Feeding habits
The larvae and adult forms of Histeridae have been known to feed on dung, carrion, decomposing vegetation, other insects, larvae, and pupae.
The majority of Histeridae species prefer dried, decaying habitats.
Some Histeridae species live in an integrated nest with ants and termites. Some species have been found to be fed by the ants, while others simply feed on leftover insect larvae that the ants do not want. In contrast, in their adult stage Psiloscelis will actually feed on adult ants.
Because the Histeridae are predacious, they can be utilized as control agents, but must be stored in isolation. The hister beetles have proven useful in both the control of pest flies in poultry houses and pastures, and against pest beetles of stored food products.[2]
Development
Histeridae goes through
Egg
The average time of development from egg to adult at 30 °C is 20.5 days. The eggs of most species are off-white and oval in shape. The egg takes on average 3.8±0.02 days to hatch into the first instar larva. The chorion is shiny and smooth. In certain species like Epierus or Platylomalus it can look pale brown and be leathery in texture.[2]
Larval
The larval stage of the beetle typically goes through two instars, and the second instar is the longest stage of its entire development, taking up 39% of overall development time. It takes 5.1±0.1 days on average for the first instar to develop into the second. The larval form of the insect will range in length from three millimeters to several centimeters. They have a membranous body with a limited amount of
Pupal
The pupal form of the beetle is similar in appearance to the adult form. They have outer cells produced in the larval stages that are reinforced with
Male and female structures
The male and female reproductive organs are hidden underneath the last few
Subclades
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2018) |
There are four subclades of Histeridae that are
1. Dendrobites
They have two common body shapes. One is flattened while the other has a more cylindrical appearance. The former usually lives near tree barks. This is because the prey they feed on, fly eggs, are found near tree bark. The latter also feed on insects and prefer to live in forested areas. Species of the cylindrical Dendrobites usually hunt prey that is unique for that species.
2. Geobiotes
This subclade is the most diverse and the largest of the hister predator subclasses. The Geobites' body structures are generally circular, and they are known for their digging tendencies. This subclass is separated into five more divisions. The members of this subclass live anywhere from the soil, desert, and coast to caves, mammalian burrows, and vegetation. They live in accordance with where their prey lives. One division of the Geobiote feeds on maggots and eggs that are found in forest vegetation or in carrion. Naturally, these are found in heavily forested areas. The second and third divisions hunt for arthropods that feed on dead plant matter. Thus, these types of Geobiotes are found in the sand and burrowed in soil. The fourth type of Geobiotes feed on fly eggs that grow on fresh
3. Microhisterids
This subclade is the smallest of the four. They live on plant litter and feed on the tiny arthropods found there. Microhisterids, like all other Histeridae, become specialized to hunt their prey and live in their habitats. Like the fifth division of Geobiotes, some Microhisterids are known to be blind as well.[8]
4. Inquilines
This division consists of those Histeridae that live in close proximity with social colonies of arthropods such as ants and termites. Histeridae that live near ants can live in a harmonious or hostile relationship. The hostile hister beetles feed on the ants. The harmonious hister beetles eat the same food as the ants, however they may not be in direct competition for the food.[13] These beetles have an excretory organ that produces an odor telling the ants they mean no harm.[14]
Current research
Because members of the family Histeridae can be found on carrion, they have proven to be important in certain forensic investigations. The predacious hister beetles will feed on the various insects on the body, primarily Diptera. To estimate a person's time of death, forensic investigators must look at the insects on the body and determine time of colonization. If the Histeridae beetles are present, the investigator can assume that some of the other insects have been eaten by the hister beetles. Due to their importance in forensic entomology, research is continually being conducted on this family's life cycle and development, their prevalence in specific locations, and their geographical distribution.
A study was conducted at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. Forty species of Coleoptera, including the hister beetles, were observed on twelve pig carcasses over a one-year period. The beetles’ distribution and their time of colonization in the various decomposition stages over the year were examined and recorded.[15]
Importance in forensics
Forensic entomology is the study of insects related to crime scenes. Insects can be very helpful at a crime scene and give people an idea of what happened and when it happened.[16]
Flesh eating insects arrive at the dead body within a few hours. Certain species of the hister beetles follow shortly behind and prey on the maggots and other arthropods present. Insects that feed on dead bodies increase the rate of decomposition and their mandibular mouth parts can cause excess damage to the body. Insects can also help determine the season the body died in. The hister beetle is more prevalent in spring and summer.
The family Histeridae is very diverse, so different species can be found on the body at different times because of their various feeding habits. This needs to be noted when examining a dead body. They are predacious beetles and arrive when there is material to feed on, like other beetles or maggots. They do not actually feed on the carrion.[17] For example, Hister quadrinotatus and Hister sedakovi arrive to feed when the carrion is bloat to dry (full of maggots to no maggots). In contrast, Saprinus pennsylvanicus arrive at the body first, when it is fresh to late (beginning of decomposition to advanced decomposition).
The hister beetles lay their eggs in dead bodies and over a short period of time they develop into various stages. The Histeridae larvae are destructive and when they hatch they eat the maggots in the dead body. The stage of the beetle and other insects in the body at the time of investigation helps to determine the time of death. "Beetle larvae are ... helpful when determining post-mortem time interval. Beetle larvae often reside in fly breeding resources, and they can be distinguished from fly larvae by the following: Beetle larvae possess a hard, head capsule, often brown in colour. Fly larvae lack a head capsule, instead having distinct, internal, black mouth hooks (cephalopharyngeal skeleton of mouthparts) at the anterior end of their body."[18] Understanding how long ago the eggs were laid and the time period of the developmental stages is important for determining the time of death.
The hister beetles will hide under the dead body in the soil during the day and come out at night to feed. For this reason, the dead body must be examined at different times of the day. After collecting the hister beetles from a body, isolate them because they are predacious beetles and eat anything in their way.
Genera and species
Histeridae is a large and diverse family. There are more than 410 genera and 4,800 described species in Histeridae worldwide, with more than 500 species in North America.[19][20][1] The beetles range in size, shape and color. Many of the adults are predacious.[21]
See also
References
- ^ a b
Bouchard, Patrice; Bousquet, Yves; Davies, Anthony E.; Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A.; et al. (2011). "Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta)". ZooKeys (88): 1–972. PMID 21594053.
- ^ a b c d e f Peter W. Kovarik & Michael S. Caterino (2001). "Histeridae". In Arnett, Ross H. Jr. & Thomas, Michael C. (eds.). American Beetles. Vol. 1. CRC Press.
- ^ Brundage, Adrienne. "Importance of Beetles Part 2." Ento 431 Class Period. Texas A&M University: Kleberg, College Station. 11 Mar. 2009.
- ^ Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Lawrence R. Dillon. A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America. Peterson and Co., 1961.
- ^ Dictionary of word roots and combining forms compiled from the Greek, Latin, and other languages, with special reference to biological terms and scientific names. Mountain View, Calif: Mayfield Pub. Co., 1988.
- ^ "Beetle - MSN Encarta." MSN Encarta : Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Homework. 07 Apr. 2009 <http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761555773&pn=2 Archived 2003-08-21 at the Wayback Machine>. Archived 2009-10-31.
- ^ Brundage, Adrienne. "Development and Orders." Ento 431 Class Period. Texas A&M University: Kleberg, College Station. 11 Mar. 2009.
- ^ a b Mazur, Slawomir. "Ecology and Habitats of Histeridae." 13 Mar. 2009 <http://www.museum.hokudai.ac.jp/exhibition/kikaku03/6sympoMazur.html Archived 2008-02-03 at the Wayback Machine>.
- PMID 30990167.
- S2CID 216238703.
- ^ Davies, A. "Family Histeridae." Checklist of beetles of Canada and Alaska. Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes. 11 Mar. 2009 <http://www.canacoll.org/Coleo/Checklist/PDF%20files/HISTERIDAE.pdf>.
- ^ "Hister beetles - Family Histeridae." Decomposition: Hister Beetles. 2003. Australian Museum. 11 Mar. 2009 <http://www.deathonline.net/decomposition/corpse_fauna/beetles/hister.htm>.
- ^ Arnett, R. H. 1968. Histeridae. In: The Beetles of the United States (A manual for identification). The American Entomological Institute, Ann Arbor, xii + 1112 pp.
- ^ Gillott, C. 1995. The Remaining Endopterygote Orders. In: Entomology. Plenum Press, New York, xviii + 798 pp.
- PMID 19019588.
- ^ Byrd, Dr. J. H. "Definition and Information." Forensic Entomology: Insects in Legal Investigations. 1998. 21 Mar. 2009 <http://www.forensicentomology.com/definition.htm Archived 2018-02-14 at the Wayback Machine http://www.forensicentomology.com/info.htm Archived 2018-02-15 at the Wayback Machine>.
- ^ Fuller, John. "What do bugs have to do with forensic science?" How Stuff Works? University of Georgia. 21 Mar. 2009 <http://science.howstuffworks.com/forensic-entomology2.htm>.
- ^ Dadour, Dr. Ian, and Dr. David Cook. "Collecting From a Corpse." Web Ring. 2001. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/forensic.htm Archived 2006-08-19 at the Wayback Machine>.
- ^ "Histeridae Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
- ^ "Histeridae". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
- ^ Myers, P., R. Espinosa, and C. S. Parr. "Family Histeridae." Animal Diversity Web. 1998. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 22 Mar. 2009 <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Histeridae.html>.
Further references (not necessarily used inline)
- Achiano, K. A., and J. H. Giliomee. "Biology of the house fly predator Carcinops pumilio (Erichson) (Coleoptera:Histeridae)." BioControl (2005). 14 Mar. 2005. 20 Mar. 2009 <https://web.archive.org/web/20110714075700/http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=362v3k1361r2x385&size=largest>.
- "Hister beetles - Family Histeridae." Decomposition: Hister Beetles. 2003. Australian Museum. 11 Mar. 2009 <http://www.deathonline.net/decomposition/corpse_fauna/beetles/hister.htm>.
- Stephens, Stephanie A. "An Overview of the Coleopteran Family Histeridae and its Significance to Forensic Entomology." 2003. 13 Mar. 2009 <https://web.archive.org/web/20090330011619/http://www.beetlelady.com/?page_id=7>.
- Summerlin, J. W., and G. T. Fincher. "Laboratory observations on the life cycle of Hister nomas (Coleoptera: Histeridae)." Journal of Entomological Science. CABI. Vet. Toxicology & Entomology Res. Lab., College station. 20 Mar. 2009.
External links
- Data related to Histeridae at Wikispecies
- Tree of life
- Histeridae de German site
- Histeridae of Europe (in German)
- Overview of Histeridae
- Summary
- Forensic Entomology
- Bug Guide
- Lectures on Forensically Important Insects