Cucujoidea is asuperfamily ofbeetles. This group formerly included all of the families now included in the superfamilyCoccinelloidea.[1] They include some fungus beetles and a diversity of lineages of "bark beetles" unrelated to the "true" bark beetles (Scolytinae), which areweevils (superfamilyCurculionoidea).
The morphology of Cucujoidea is varied and there are no features uniting all members of the superfamily. In terms of general appearance, they tend to be small, drab in colour and with clubbed antennae.[1] Even this is not universal; for example,Glischrochilus (Nitidulidae) haveaposematic orange spots on their elytra.[2]
Adults can be recognised by the procoxal cavities being internally open in most taxa, females having tarsal formula 5-5-5 and males 5-5-5 or 5-5-4 (rarely 4-4-4), females with tergite VIII concealed dorsally by tergite VII, and males with tergite X completely membraneous.[1]
Larvae have frontal arms usually lyriform, the mandible mesal surface usually with well-developed mola, a maxillary articulating area usually present, a hypopharyngeal sclerome usually present, and two pretarsal setae.[1]
Cucujoidea usually have cryptic habits, living in fungi, leaf litter or dead wood.[1] This is reflected in many families having "fungus" or "bark" in their common names. TheKateretidae[3] and somePhalacridae[4] feed on flowers instead. The Nitidulidae are quite varied: some aresaprophagous andmycetophagous like typical cucujoids, but others are associated with carrion, flowers, insect nests or stored food products.[5]
Media related toCucujoidea at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toCucujoidea at Wikispecies