Cleroidea
Encyclopedia
Cleroidea is a small superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...

 of beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...

s. Most of the members of the group are somewhat slender, often with fairly soft, flexible elytra, and typically hairy or scaly.



It contains about 10,000 species in the families:
  • Acanthocnemidae
    Acanthocnemidae
    Acanthocnemidae is a small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga. The single species of Acanthocnemidae, Acanthocnemus nigricans, is native to Australia....

     Crowson 1964
  • Chaetosomatidae
    Chaetosomatidae
    Chaetosomatidae is a small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga.-Taxonomy:* Genus Chaetosoma Westwood, 1851** Chaetosoma scaritides Westwood, 1851* Genus Chaetosomodes Broun, 1921** Chaetosomodes halli Broun, 1921...

     Crowson 1952
  • Cleridae
    Cleridae
    Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The Cleridae family has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences....

     Latreille 1802 (checkered beetles)
  • Melyridae
    Melyridae
    Melyridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. The family Melyridae contains 520 species in 58 genera in North America. Most are elongate-oval, soft-bodied beetles 10 mm long or less. Many are brightly colored with brown or red and black...

     Leach 1815 (soft-winged flower beetles) (includes Malachiidae and Dasytidae)
  • Phloiophilidae
    Phloiophilidae
    Phloiophilidae is a very small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga. It contains the single genus Phloiophilus with the single species Phloiophilus edwardsi....

     Kiesenwetter 1863
  • Phycosecidae
    Phycosecidae
    Phycosecidae is a small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga. The species are small, about 1.5–3.5 mm in length. It contains the single genus Phycosecis with the following species:* Phycosecis algarum Pascoe, 1875...

     Crowson 1952
  • Prionoceridae
    Prionoceridae
    Prionoceridae is a small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga....

     Lacordaire 1857
  • Trogossitidae
    Trogossitidae
    Trogossitidae is a small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga. Trogossitidae consists of about 600 species. 59 species are found in America about 36in Australia....

     Latreille 1802 (bark-gnawing beetles)


The vast majority of species belong to the families Cleridae
Cleridae
Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The Cleridae family has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences....

 and Melyridae
Melyridae
Melyridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. The family Melyridae contains 520 species in 58 genera in North America. Most are elongate-oval, soft-bodied beetles 10 mm long or less. Many are brightly colored with brown or red and black...

, followed by Trogossitidae
Trogossitidae
Trogossitidae is a small family of beetles, in the suborder Polyphaga. Trogossitidae consists of about 600 species. 59 species are found in America about 36in Australia....

.

External links

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