Rain beetles
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–recent
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Pleocoma
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom:
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Animalia
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Phylum:
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Arthropoda
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Class:
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Insecta
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Order:
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Coleoptera
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Suborder:
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Polyphaga
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Infraorder:
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Scarabaeiformia
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Superfamily:
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Scarabaeoidea
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Family:
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Pleocomidae
LeConte, 1861
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Genera
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Pleocoma LeConte, 1856
- †Cretocoma Nikolaev, 2002
- †Proteroscarabeus Grabau 1923
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The rain beetles are a group of beetles found in the far west of North America. They spend most of their lives underground, emerging in response to rain or snow, thus the common name. Formerly classified in the Geotrupidae, they are currently assigned to their own family Pleocomidae, considered the sister group to all the remaining families of Scarabaeoidea. The family contains a single extant genus, Pleocoma, and two extinct genera, Cretocoma, described in 2002 from Late Cretaceous deposits in Mongolia,[1] and Proteroscarabeus of Late Cretaceous China.[2]
Possessing a robust oval body form similar to other scarabaeiforms, their ventral side is densely covered with fine, long hairs (genus name derives from Greek πλείων (ple-, abundant) and κόμη (kome, hair), extending to the legs and to the margins of thorax and elytra. The back is hairless and glossy. Overall colors range from black to a reddish-brown, while the hairs may range from yellow to red to black. The antennae are 11-segmented, with a club of four to eight lamellae, more than in any other group of the Scarabaeoidea. The mandibles are not functional, and the opening into the esophagus is closed off; adults do not eat.[citation needed]
Larvae have the typical scarabaeiform characteristics, C-shaped bodies generally a creamy white. They feed on roots in the soil, often deep beneath the host plant. Details of the larval stage are only known for some species; they have nine or more instars, and may take up to 13 years to mature. After a late summer pupation, adults of both sexes dig their way to the surface, emerging around the onset of the fall/winter rainy season typical of, for instance, California's climate; some species are active as late as early spring. Females have only vestigial wings, so the males fly around (often while it is raining), homing in on pheromones released by the females. They mate on the surface or in a burrow dug out by the female, then the female lays eggs in the bottom of the burrow. The "triggering" conditions required for some species to fly are so stringent that a given population may only be active for a single day in a given year. Males are commonly attracted to bright lights.
Members of Pleocoma are known from extreme southern Washington, throughout the mountains of Oregon and California, and into the extreme north of Baja California.
References
^ Frank-Thorsten Krell. "Catalogue of fossil Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera: Polyphaga) of the Mesozoic and Tertiary" (PDF). Natural History Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Krell, Frank-Thorsten. "The fossil record of Mesozoic and Tertiary Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera: Polyphaga)." Invertebrate Systematics 14.6 (2000): 871-905.
Frank T. Hovore (2002). "Pleocomidae". In Ross H. Arnett, Jr.; Michael C. Thomas; Paul E. Skelley; J. Howard Frank. Volume 2: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. American Beetles. CRC Press. pp. 20–22. ISBN 0-8493-0954-9.
External links
Insects portal
Data related to Pleocomidae at Wikispecies
Extant Coleoptera families
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- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Pterygota
- Infraclass: Neoptera
- Superorder: Endopterygota
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Suborder Archostemata
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- Crowsoniellidae (Crowsoniella relicta)
- Cupedidae (reticulated beetles)
- Jurodidae (Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae)
- Micromalthidae (telephone-pole beetle)
- Ommatidae
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Suborder Adephaga
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Extant families |
- Amphizoidae (trout-stream beetles)
- Aspidytidae
- Carabidae (ground beetles)
- Dytiscidae (predaceous diving beetles)
- Gyrinidae (whirligig beetles)
- Haliplidae (crawling water beetles)
- Hygrobiidae
- Meruidae (Meru phyllisae)
- Noteridae (burrowing water beetles)
- Rhysodidae (wrinkled bark beetles)
- Trachypachidae (false ground beetles)
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Suborder Myxophaga
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- Hydroscaphidae (skiff beetles)
- Lepiceridae
- Sphaeriusidae
- Torridincolidae
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Suborder Polyphaga
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Bostrichiformia |
Bostrichoidea |
- Anobiidae (furniture beetles, death watch beetles, spider beetles)
- Bostrichidae (auger beetles)
- Dermestidae (skin beetles)
- Jacobsoniidae (Jacobson's beetles)
- Nosodendridae (wounded-tree beetles)
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Derodontoidea |
- Derodontidae (tooth-necked fungus beetles)
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Cucujiformia |
Chrysomeloidea |
- Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles)
- Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles)
- Disteniidae
- Megalopodidae
- Orsodacnidae
- Oxypeltidae
- Vesperidae
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Cleroidea |
- Acanthocnemidae (Acanthocnemus nigricans)
- Chaetosomatidae
- Cleridae (checkered beetles)
- Mauroniscidae
- Melyridae (soft-wing flower beetles)
- Metaxinidae
- Phloiophilidae (Phloiophilus edwardsi)
- Phycosecidae
- Prionoceridae
- Thanerocleridae
- Trogossitidae (bark-gnawing beetles)
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Cucujoidea |
- Alexiidae
- Biphyllidae (false skin beetles)
- Boganiidae
- Bothrideridae (dry bark beetles)
- Byturidae (fruitworm beetles)
- Cavognathidae
- Cerylonidae (minute bark beetles)
- Coccinellidae (lady beetles, or God's cows)
- Corylophidae (minute fungus beetles)
- Cryptophagidae (silken fungus beetles)
- Cucujidae (flat bark beetles)
- Cyclaxyridae
- Discolomatidae
- Endomychidae (handsome fungus beetles)
- Erotylidae (pleasing fungus beetles)
- Helotidae
- Hobartiidae
- Kateretidae (short-winged flower beetles)
- Laemophloeidae (lined flat bark beetles)
- Lamingtoniidae (Lamingtonium binnaberrense)
- Latridiidae (minute brown scavenger beetles)
- Monotomidae (root-eating beetles)
- Myraboliidae
- Nitidulidae (sap beetles)
- Passandridae (parasitic flat bark beetles)
- Phalacridae (shining flower beetles)
- Phloeostichidae
- Propalticidae
- Protocucujidae
- Silvanidae (silvanid flat bark beetles)
- Smicripidae (palmetto beetles)
- Sphindidae (dry-fungus beetles)
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Curculionoidea .mw-parser-output .nobold{font-weight:normal}
(weevils)
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- Anthribidae (fungus weevils)
- Attelabidae (leaf-rolling weevils)
- Belidae (primitive weevils)
- Brentidae (straight snout weevils, New York weevil)
- Caridae
- Curculionidae (true weevils, bark beetles, ambrosia beetles)
- Nemonychidae (pine flower weevils)
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Lymexyloidea |
- Lymexylidae (ship-timber beetles)
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Tenebrionoidea |
- Aderidae (ant-like leaf beetles)
- Anthicidae (ant-like flower beetles)
- Archeocrypticidae (cryptic fungus beetles)
- Boridae (conifer bark beetles)
- Chalcodryidae
- Ciidae (minute tree-fungus beetles)
- Melandryidae (false darkling beetles)
- Meloidae (blister beetles)
- Mordellidae (tumbling flower beetles)
- Mycetophagidae (hairy fungus beetles)
- Mycteridae (palm and flower beetles)
- Oedemeridae (false blister beetle)
- Perimylopidae, or Promecheilidae
- Prostomidae (jugular-horned beetles)
- Pterogeniidae
- Pyrochroidae (fire-coloured beetles)
- Pythidae (dead log bark beetles)
- Ripiphoridae (wedge-shaped beetles)
- Salpingidae (narrow-waisted bark beetles)
- Scraptiidae (false flower beetles)
- Stenotrachelidae (false longhorn beetles)
- Synchroidae (synchroa bark beetles)
- Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles)
- Tetratomidae (polypore fungus beetles)
- Trachelostenidae
- Trictenotomidae
- Ulodidae
- Zopheridae (ironclad beetles, cylindrical bark beetles)
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Elateriformia |
Buprestoidea |
- Buprestidae (jewel beetles, or metallic wood-boring beetles)
- Schizopodidae
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Byrrhoidea |
- Byrrhidae (pill beetles)
- Callirhipidae (cedar beetles)
- Chelonariidae (turtle beetles)
- Cneoglossidae
- Dryopidae (long-toed water beetles)
- Elmidae (riffle beetles)
- Eulichadidae (forest stream beetles)
- Heteroceridae (variegated mud-loving beetles)
- Limnichidae (minute mud beetles)
- Lutrochidae (travertine beetles)
- Psephenidae (water-penny beetles)
- Ptilodactylidae
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Dascilloidea |
- Dascillidae (soft bodied plant beetles)
- Rhipiceridae (cicada beetle, cicada parasite beetles)
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Elateroidea |
- Anischiidae
- Artematopodidae (soft-bodied plant beetles)
- Brachypsectridae (Texas beetles)
- Cantharidae (soldier beetles)
- Cerophytidae (rare click beetles)
- Elateridae (click beetles)
- Eucnemidae (false click beetles)
- Lampyridae (fireflies)
- Lycidae (net-winged beetles)
- Omalisidae
- Omethidae (false fireflies)
- Phengodidae (glowworm beetles, long-lipped beetles)
- Podabrocephalidae
- Rhagophthalmidae
- Rhinorhipidae (Rhinorhipus tamborinensis)
- Throscidae (false metallic wood-boring beetles)
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Scirtoidea |
- Clambidae
- Decliniidae (Declinia relicta)
- Eucinetidae (plate-thigh beetles)
- Scirtidae
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Scarabaeiformia |
Scarabaeoidea |
- Belohinidae (Belohina inexpectata)
- Bolboceratidae
- Ceratocanthidae
- Diphyllostomatidae (false stag beetles)
- Geotrupidae (dor beetles)
- Glaphyridae (bumble bee scarab beetles)
- Glaresidae (enigmatic scarab beetles)
- Hybosoridae (scavenger scarab beetles)
- Lucanidae (stag beetles)
- Ochodaeidae (sand-loving scarab beetles)
- Passalidae (betsy beetles)
- Pleocomidae (rain beetles)
- Scarabaeidae (scarabs)
- Trogidae (hide beetles)
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Staphyliniformia |
Histeroidea |
- Histeridae (clown beetles)
- Sphaeritidae (false clown beetles)
- Synteliidae
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Hydrophiloidea |
- Epimetopidae
- Georissidae (minute mud-loving beetles)
- Helophoridae
- Hydrochidae
- Hydrophilidae (water scavenger beetles)
- Spercheidae
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Staphylinoidea |
- Agyrtidae (primitive carrion beetles)
- Hydraenidae
- Leiodidae (round fungus beetles)
- Ptiliidae (feather-winged beetles)
- Scydmaenidae (ant-like stone beetles)
- Silphidae (carrion beetles)
- Staphylinidae (rove beetles)
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List of subgroups of the order Coleoptera |
Taxon identifiers |
- Wikidata: Q311154
- Wikispecies: Pleocomidae
- BugGuide: 41353
- EoL: 5439
- Fossilworks: 69305
- GBIF: 5841
- iNaturalist: 176066
- IRMNG: 109866
- ITIS: 678320
- NCBI: 110050
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