Anthicidae

Ant-like flower beetles
Notoxus monoceros
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Superfamily:	Tenebrionoidea
Family:	Anthicidae Latreille, 1819
Subfamilies
Anthicinae Copobaeninae Eurygeniinae Ischaliinae Lemodinae Macratriinae Steropinae Tomoderinae

The Anthicidae are a family of beetles that resemble ants. They are sometimes called ant-like flower beetles or ant-like beetles. The family comprises over 3,000 species in about 100 genera.

Description

Profile of an anthicid

Members of the genus Anthelephila are ant-like in superficial appearance.

Their heads constrict just in front of the pronotum, forming a neck, and the posterior end of the pronotum is usually narrow as well. Legs and antennae are slender, heightening the ant-like appearance, and the body is sparsely covered with setae.

Biology

Adult beetles are omnivorous, being known to consume small arthropods, pollen, fungi, and whatever else they can find. Some species are of interest as biological control agents, as they can eat the eggs or larvae of pests. Larvae are either omnivorous, predators, or fungus-eaters; the young of one species of Notoxus have been observed boring into sweet potato tubers.

Many members of the family are attracted to cantharidin, which they seem to accumulate and that deters possible predators.

Taxonomy

Synonyms of the family include Notoxidae and Ischaliidae.

References

• Donald S. Chandler, "Anthicidae", in Ross H. Arnett, Jr. and Michael C. Thomas, American Beetles (CRC Press, 2002), vol. 2