Prostomidae
| Prostomidae Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Prostomis mandibularis | |
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| Dryocora howitti | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Superfamily: | Tenebrionoidea |
| Family: | Prostomidae C. G. Thomson, 1859 |
| Genera | |
Prostomidae is a family of
Pacific region and East Asia. Species of Dryocora are known from New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania.[1]
Prostomidae are elongate beetles with parallel sided
elytra. They have the mandibles forward facing (prognathous) and have a large jugular process. The antennae are 11 segmented with a weak club formed by the last three segments. The large mandibles, small eyes, the elytra and pronotum of the same width, and a tarsal formula of 4-4-4 make them distinctive. Larvae and adults are found mainly inside fallen logs.[2] The larvae feed on the rotten wood, particularly on the rotting heartwood of thick logs, as well as the mud-like matter found in red coloured decomposing wood.[3]
An extinct genus, Vetuprostomis is known from several species described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber found in northern Myanmar. It is suggested to be more closely related to Dryocora than to Prostomis.[4][5]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8493-0954-0.
- ISSN 1738-2297.
- ^ Seago, Ainsley and Beutel, Rolf G.. "11.15. Prostomidae G. G.Thomson, 1859". 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. 659-667.
- ^ Engel, M.S.; Grimaldi, D.A. (2008). "A jugular-horned beetle in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Coleoptera: Prostomidae)". Alavesia. 2: 215–218.
- ISSN 1175-5334.