Omethidae Explained

Omethidae is a family of Elateroidea sometimes known as the false soldier beetles.^[1] They are native to South, Southeast and Eastern Asia and the Americas.^[2] Their biology is obscure and their larvae are unknown. They appear to inhabit vegetation in or surrounding forests, and are probably active during the day.

Classification and taxonomy

There are some 40 species in 11 genera, divided into four subfamilies. Long-lipped beetles (Telegeusinae) were formerly treated as a family Telegeusidae but are most recently treated as a subfamily within Omethidae.^{[3] [4]} According to other recent studies, Phengodidae might possibly include (or be sister taxon to) the telegeusines.^[5]

Subfamily Driloniinae

• Drilonius

Subfamily Matheteinae

• Ginglymocladus
• Matheteus

Subfamily Omethinae

• Blatchleya
• Malthomethes
• Omethes
• Symphyomethes
• Troglomethes

Subfamily Telegeusinae

• Pseudokarumia
• Pseudotelegeusis
• Telegeusis

Notes and References

1. Web site: Family Omethidae - False Soldier Beetles . BugGuide . 2017-01-24.
2. Roza . André Silva . Constantin . Robert . Mermudes . José Ricardo Miras . 2019-11-26 . Pseudotelegeusis meloi sp. nov., the first Telegeusinae from Peru (Coleoptera: Omethidae, Telegeusinae) . European Journal of Taxonomy . 580 . 10.5852/ejt.2019.580 . 2118-9773. free .
3. Kundrata R, Bocakova M, Bocak L. (2014) The comprehensive phylogeny of the superfamily Elateroidea (Coleoptera: Elateriformia). Mol Phylogenet Evol. 76:162-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.03.012.
4. Roza, A.S.; Constantin, R.; Mermudes, J.R.M. Pseudotelegeusis meloi sp. nov., the first Telegeusinae from Peru (Coleoptera: Omethidae, Telegeusinae). European Journal of Taxonomy, [S.l.], n. 580, nov. 2019. ISSN 2118-9773. Available at: . Date accessed: 06 dec. 2019. doi:https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2019.580.
5. Zaragoza-Caballero & Zurita-Garcia (2015) A preliminary study on the phylogeny of the family Phengodidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). Zootaxa 3947: 527–542.