Cybocephalidae Explained

Cybocephalidae is a family of sap, bark and fungus beetles in the order Coleoptera with a wide global distribution. The type genus Cybocephalus has more than 200 species in it and the entire family has about 220 species in all.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Many species are predators of armoured scale insects (Diaspididae).^[5] There are four tarsal segments on all the legs. The body is only slightly longer than wide and very convex and shiny. They are small and about 1 to 3 mm long. The insect can roll into a ball like position with its downward facing head. The tarsomeres are lobed underneath. The family is sometimes treated as a subfamily within the Nitidulidae.^[6]

Genera

Cybocephalidae contains the following genera:^{[7] [8]}

• Amedissia Kirejtshuk & Mantič, 2015 – Central and South America
• Apastillus Kirejtshuk & Mantič, 2015 – Japan
• Conglobatus T. R. Smith, 2020 – Central America, South America and the West Indies.
• Cybocephalus Erichson, 1844 – Worldwide
• Endrodiellus Enrödy-Younga, 1962 – Madagascar
• Eupastillus Lawrence, 2019 – Australia
• Hierronius Enrödy-Younga, 1968 – Madeira and Canary Islands
• Horadion Enrödy-Younga, 1976 – Eastern Africa and southern Asia
• Microthomas T. R. Smith, 2020 – Bolivia
• Pacicephalus Kirejtshuk & Mantič, 2015 – Micronesia
• †Pastillocenicus Kirejtshuk & Nel, 2008 – French Eocene amber
• Pastillodes Enrödy-Younga, 1968 – Northern Africa
• Pastillus Enrödy-Younga, 1962 – Tropical and southern Africa
• Pycnocephalus Sharp, 1891 – Mexico, Central America and South America
• Taxicephomerus Kirejtshuk, 1994 – Vietnam
• Theticephalus Kirejtshuk, 1988 – Northern Africa, Middle East and Central Asia

Further reading

• Book: Arnett . R.H. Jr.. Thomas . M. C.. Skelley . P. E.. Frank . J. H.. 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press.
• Book: Kellogg . Vernon L.. 1905. American insects. H. Holt.
• Book: Arnett . Ross H. Jr.. 2000. American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico. CRC Press. 2nd Edition. 0-8493-0212-9.
• Book: Leng . Charles W.. 1920. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of America, North of Mexico. John D. Sherman, Jr..
• Book: Crotch . G.R.. 1873. Check list of the Coleoptera of America, north of Mexico. Naturalists' Agency.
• Book: Capinera . John L.. 2008. Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer. 978-1402062421.
• Book: Gillott. Cedric. 1980. Entomology. Plenum Press. 0-306-40366-8. registration.
• Book: Donald J. Borror. Roger Tory Peterson. Richard E. White. 1998. A Field Guide to Insects. Houghton Mifflin.
• Book: Blatchley . W.S.. 1910. An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera, beetles (exclusive of the Rhynchophora) known to occur in Indiana. Nature Pub..
• Book: Papp . Charles S.. 1984. Introduction to North American Beetles. Entomography Pubns.
• Book: White . Richard E.. 1983. Peterson Field Guides: Beetles. Houghton Mifflin.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cybocephalidae Family Information. BugGuide.net. 2018-02-23.
2. Web site: Cybocephalidae Report. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 2018-02-23.
3. Web site: Cybocephalidae Overview. Encyclopedia of Life. 2018-02-23.
4. Web site: Browse Cybocephalidae. Catalogue of Life. 2018-02-23.
5. Smith. Trevor Randall. Bailey. Rafique. 2007. A New Species of Cybocephalus (Coleoptera: Cybocephalidae) from Taiwan and a New Distribution Record for Cybocephalus nipponicus. 27571054. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 61. 4. 503–508. 10.1649/0010-065X(2007)61[503:ANSOCC]2.0.CO;2 . 85997411 .
6. Book: 325–327. Australian Beetles. Volume I. Morphology, Classification and Keys.. Lawrence, John F.. Slipinski, Adam. CSIRO. 2013.
7. Smith . Trevor Randall . 25 December 2020 . Description of two new genera and a taxonomic key to the world genera of Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) . Insecta Mundi . 0834 . 1–24.
8. Smith . Trevor Randall . 26 March 2021 . A catalogue of the Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) of the world . Insecta Mundi . 0858 . 1–16.