| Aderidae | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Aderus populneus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Superfamily: | Tenebrionoidea |
| Family: | Aderidae Winkler, 1927 |
| Genera | |
about 40 genera | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
TheAderidae, sometimes calledant-like leaf beetles, are afamily ofbeetles that bear some resemblance toants. The family consists of about 1,000 species in about 40 genera, of which most are tropical, although overall distribution is worldwide.
As with theAnthicidae, their heads constrict just in front of thepronotum, forming a neck, although the posterior end of the pronotum is not usually as narrow. The eyes are hairy with a granular appearance. The first two abdominalsternites are fused, and in only some groups is a suture even visible. Sizes are 1–4 mm.
As the name suggests, most adults are found on the undersides of the leaves of shrubs and trees, while larvae have been found in rotting wood,leaf litter, and nests of other insects.
As of 2002[update], the last publication of a world catalog of the family was that ofMaurice Pic in 1910.
The oldest confirmed member of the family isGryzmalia from the mid CretaceousBurmese amber of Myanmar.[1]