Latridiidae (sometimes spelled "Lathridiidae") is a family of tiny, little-known beetles commonly called minute brown scavenger beetles or fungus beetles.[1] The number of described species currently stands at around 1050 in 29 genera but the number of species is undoubtedly much higher than this and increases each time a new estimate is made.[2]
Adult beetles in this family are some shade of brown and between 1.2and in length. The antennae have eight to eleven segments, the terminal one to three segments forming a club. The elytra are wider than the head and thorax, and are punctured by rows of small pits. The dorsal surface is rough. Most species are unable to fly.[3]
A characteristic separating latridiids from other beetles is that each leg ends in a tarsus with three segments (tarsal formula 3-3-3).
The two subfamilies of latridiids differ from each other in appearance. Latridiinae are glabrous, rarely have erect setae, their dorsal surfaces are often heavily sculptured, and the pronotal side margin is usually smooth. Corticariinae are finely pubescent, usually have recumbent setae, their dorsal surfaces never have heavy sculpture, and the pronotal side margin is usually serrate.
These beetles and their larvae are obligate feeders on the hyphae and spores of fungi, moulds and mildews. They occur in damp places where such fungi are found, under bark, in leaf litter, in decaying plant material, in timber stacked outdoors, and in ant and termite nests.[3] They may be present in ripening cereal crops but will not persist in clean, dry stored grain; however damp grain, or grain heavily contaminated by other insects, will support them.[4]
They may infest brewers yeast and contaminate food by introducing mould spores. Species of Dienerella have caused the deterioration of foodstuffs, and hygiene problems in a hospital have been linked to Dienerella filum. They have been shown to consume Ustilago, Arcticum, Polysaccum, Tilletia, Lycoperdon and Trichothecium. They also thrive on mixed cultures of Penicillium, Mucor, Botrytis and Aspergillus.[3]