Megalodacne Explained

Megalodacne is a genus of fungivorous beetles in the family Erotylidae.[1]

Description

Adult beetles of the genus Megalodacne range in size from 9to, making them among the larger members of the family.[2] [3]

Distinguishing characteristics of the genus along with other members of the subfamily Megalodacninae include large eyes and a lack of depressions in the club joint of the antennae. The first three tarsomeres are also cylindrical and of similar shape and size, while the fourth is significantly shorter.

Species of the genus Megalodacne closely resemble members of the genera Episcapha and Episcaphula (some members of which were formerly classified under Megalodacne). They also often look superficially similar to several other beetles since the patterns of the markings of yellow, orange, or red on the elytra (called fascia) of Megalodacne are shared by many other beetle species.[2]

An example of which is the sap beetle (Nitidulidae) genus Glischrochilus.[4] Their native ranges sometimes overlap as well, making it easy to confuse the two (as with Megalodacne fasciata, Megalodacne heros, and the nitulidid Glischrochilus fasciatus from eastern North America). The best way to tell them apart is by size, as sap beetles are generally small, ranging from 2to in length. Glischrochilus reaches a maximum length of only 12mm.[5] Megalodacne on the other hand are large beetles ranging from 9mm22mm.[4] [6] The elytra of the sap beetles which most resemble Megalodacne also do not cover the whole abdomen and leave the last abdominal segment(s) exposed.[6] The elytra of Megalodacne, on the other hand, completely cover the abdomen.[7]

Ecology

Megalodacne species feed on harder bracket fungi than smaller members of the family.[2] The fungi eaten include Ganoderma[2] and Fomes species.[8]

Some tropical nocturnal species of Megalodacne are attracted to light.

Life cycle

Megalodacne deposit eggs on the fungi on which they feed. Upon hatching, the larvae, like adults, also feed on the fruiting bodies of bracket fungi by burrowing into it.[9] [10] [11]

There are two kinds of larvae of Megalodacne depending on the species. In some species, the larvae are elongated and feed on fungi by drilling holes inside of it. In others, the larvae feed alongside adults by gnawing out shallow depressions on the fruiting bodies of fungi. The latter larvae are sluggish, heavily sclerotized, and somewhat flattened. The larval stage takes about 2 to 3 months from egg to pupation. It is not uncommon to see adults feeding along with larvae.[12] [13]

Taxonomy and systematics

Megalodacne was first described by George Robert Crotch in 1873.[14] The type species is Megalodacne fasciata.[15] The genus Megalodacne is classified in the subfamily Megalodacninae, alongside the genera Episcapha and Episcaphula.[16]

List of species

Species of Megalodacne include:

Notes and References

  1. Paul E. Skelley . 2009 . Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae) . . 0082 . 1–94 . PDF.
  2. Web site: Pleasing Fungus Beetles, Pseudischyrus, Tritoma, Megalodacne, Ischyrus spp. (Insecta: Coleoptera: Erotylidae) . Paul E. Skelley . Featured Creatures . . January 18, 2011 . March 2008.
  3. Web site: Megalodacne fasciata and Megalodacne heros, Pleasing Fungus Beetles. Stephen Cresswell. Insects of West Virginia. January 19, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20101124193019/http://insectsofwestvirginia.net/b/megalodacne-fasciata.html. November 24, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  4. Book: Valerie J. Cervenka . Thomas C. Skalbeck . John F. Kyhl . Darren C. Blackford . Jennifer J. Juzwik . Steven J. Seybold . amp . How to identify common nitidulid beetles associated with oak wilt mats in Minnesota . . 2001.
  5. http://bugguide.net/node/view/148357/bgpage Glischrochilus obtusus
  6. Web site: Little Black Beetle with Orange - Glischrochilus fasciatus . Peter Hollinger . April 27, 2006 . bugguide.net/ . January 19, 2011.
  7. Book: Arthur V. Evans . James N. Hogue . amp . Field Guide to Beetles of California . January 19, 2011 . California Natural History Guide Series No. 88 . 2006 . . Berkeley and Los Angeles, California . 978-0-520-24657-7.
  8. Michael A. Goodrich . 1997 . New host records for Haematochiton elateroides Gorham (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) . . 51 . 3 . 276 . 4009421.
  9. Web site: Red-banded Fungus Beetle. Mike Quinn. Texas Entomology. January 21, 2011.
  10. Web site: Perenniporia robiniophila. Gary Emberger. 2008 . Messiah College. January 21, 2011.
  11. Web site: Pleasing fungus beetle Dacne japonica Crotch, 1873 (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Dacninae) . Simon Hinkley . Ken Walker . amp . 2008 . Pests and Disease Image Library . January 21, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080821012257/http://www.padil.gov.au/viewPest.aspx?id=873 . August 21, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  12. Skelley. Paul E.. 1988. Pleasing Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae). Entomology Circular. 313. Florida Department of Agricultural & Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry. January 21, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718205505/http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/Erotylidae%20classification.pdf. July 18, 2011.
  13. Web site: Pleasing Fungus Beetles of North America Family Erotylidae. Paul E. Skelley. Sep 5, 2001. www.fsca-dpi.org/. January 21, 2011.
  14. Web site: Genus Megalodacne . Troy Bartlett, Stephen Cresswell . Patrick Coin . amp . 11 March 2008 . Bug Guide . 16 January 2011.
  15. Michio Chûjô. Michitaka Chûjô. amp. 1988. A Catalog of the Erotylidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) from the Old World (Excluding the Ethiopian Region). ESAKIA. 26. 129–185. Kyushu University Publications in Entomology. May 6, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718173813/https://qir.kyushu-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2324/2510/1/139.pdf. July 18, 2011. dead. mdy-all.
  16. Web site: Erotylidae . Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog . . January 18, 2011.
  17. Piotr Węgrzynowicz. 2002. Morphology, phylogeny and classification of the family Erotylidae based on adult characters (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea). Genus. 13. 4. 435–504. University of Wroclaw. May 6, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718205505/http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/Erotylidae%20classification.pdf. July 18, 2011.
  18. Michio Chûjô. Michitaka Chûjô. Lee Chang Eon. amp. 1993. Erotylidae from Korea (Insecta, Coleoptera). ESAKIA. 33. 99–108. Kyushu University Publications in Entomology. 10.5109/2567 . 82325430 . May 6, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110825105014/https://qir.kyushu-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2324/2567/1/99.pdf. August 25, 2011. dead. mdy-all.
  19. Michio Chûjô. 1968. Erotylid Beetles from South-China, Hainan, Taiwan and the Ryukyus. Pacific Insects Monograph. 0078-7515. 10. 3–4. 539–550. Entomology Department, Bishop Museum. May 6, 2011.
  20. Michio Chûjô . Erotylid beetles from Thailand, Laos and Viet-Nam . Pacific Insects Monograph. 0078-7515 . 10 . 3–4 . 551–573 . 1968 .
  21. Web site: Coleoptera: Erotylidae present in the Entomological Museum of Lund University . Roy Danielsson . February 20, 2009 . Entomological Museum of Lund University, Sweden . 16 January 2011 .
  22. Book: Eric R. Eaton . Kenn Kaufman . amp . Kaufman field guide to insects of North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2007. 166. 978-0-618-15310-7.

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