Taxonomy | Ironclad ID

The family Zopheridae is a cosmopolitan group consisting of two subfamilies (Zopherinae and Colydiinae), 190 genera, and ~1,700 species. The current family is composed of members of 3 separate, previously recognized families: Colydiidae, Zopheridae, and Monommatidae. Members of Zopheridae previously resided within the family Tenebrionidae, but were raised to family rank by Böving and Craighead (1931)Böving and Craighead (1931):
Böving AG, Craighead FC. 1931. An illustrated synopsis of the principal larval forms of the order Coleoptera. Entomologica Americana (N.S.). 11(1930):1–351.. The bulk of the diversity lies within the subfamily Colydiinae (1,000+ species), where the generic and tribal concepts are still in a state of flux (Ślipiński and Lawrence 2010). The only major family-level analyses were conducted by Lawrence (1994)Lawrence (1994):
Lawrence JF. 1994. The larva of Sirrhas variegatus, sp. nov., with notes on the Perimylopidae, Ulodidae (stat. nov.), Zopheridae and chalcodryidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea). Invertebrate Taxonomy. 8:329–349. and Ślipiński and Lawrence (1999). Much work is needed to solidify the higher level classifications within the family, as well as the specific placement of Zopheriae and sister-group relationships within the Tenebrionoidea.

After the original publication of this tool, only a few papers addressing the taxonomy of U.S. Zopheridae have been published. We updated the taxonomy and have summarized those edits below.

Two new species were added to the geographic area covered in this tool but were not added to the tool's fact sheets or key.

Krinsky (2015)Krinsky (2015):
Krinsky WL. 2015. A new species of Rhagodera Mannerheim (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) from San Clemente Island, California. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 69(2):293–296. described Rhagodera costaefragmenta from San Clemente Island, California. The author distinguished this species from the morphologically similar R. tuberculata by the interrupted costa. Krinsky (2015)Krinsky (2015):
Krinsky WL. 2015. A new species of Rhagodera Mannerheim (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) from San Clemente Island, California. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 69(2):293–296. also provides a revised key to Rhagodera species that occur North of Mexico.

Bernard and Gillett (2020)Bernard and Gillett (2020):
Bernard J, Gillett CPDT. 2020. A new species of cylindrical bark beetle (Zopheridae: Colydiinae) form Vanuatu establishes in Hawaii. Zootaxa. 4809(3):593–599. described Bulasconotus scaccarius. The species was described from multiple islands in Vanuatu, but it was also found throughout the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. This is the first record of the genus Buylasconotus from the region covered by this tool. The genus is characterized by the following morphological characters (Bernard and Gillett 2020Bernard and Gillett 2020:
Bernard J, Gillett CPDT. 2020. A new species of cylindrical bark beetle (Zopheridae: Colydiinae) form Vanuatu establishes in Hawaii. Zootaxa. 4809(3):593–599., Ślipiński and Lawrence 1997): (1) antennal clubantennal club:
an enlarged portion of the antennal apex, consisting of a variable number of antennomeres (often 3). In an incrassate, antenna the antennomeres gradually enlarge towards to apex, but if there is an abrupt change in length or width at some point, then the antennomeres beyond this are considered to be part of the club.
clearly three-segmented; (2) pronotal and elytral carinaecarina:
an elevated ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute.
pronounced; (3) intercoxal process of the first abdominal ventriteabdominal ventrite:
visible ventral abdominal sclerite. Ventrite number does not correspond to true sternite number except in rare cases where sternite 1 is visible. Also called ventrite.
acute; (4) procoxal cavitiesprocoxal cavities:
external closure: Externally closed when the postcoxal processes of the hypomera meet the prosternal process or meet one another.
externally open. Bulasconotus is similar to Bitoma and Lasconotus. Lasconotus also has a three-segmented antennal clubantennal club:
an enlarged portion of the antennal apex, consisting of a variable number of antennomeres (often 3). In an incrassate, antenna the antennomeres gradually enlarge towards to apex, but if there is an abrupt change in length or width at some point, then the antennomeres beyond this are considered to be part of the club.
, but the procoxal cavitiesprocoxal cavities:
external closure: Externally closed when the postcoxal processes of the hypomera meet the prosternal process or meet one another.
are externally closed (or nearly so in a few species). Bitoma has clearly open procoxal cavitiesprocoxal cavities:
external closure: Externally closed when the postcoxal processes of the hypomera meet the prosternal process or meet one another.
, but the antennaantennae:
paired, segmental appendages, borne one on each side of head, functioning as sense organs and bearing a large number of sensilla.
are two-segmented.

Ivie et al. (2016)Ivie et al. (2016):
Ivie MA, Lord NP, Foley IA, Slipinski SA. 2016. Colydiine genera (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) of the New World: A key and nomenclatural acts 30 years in the making. The Coleopterists Bulletin 70(4):755–788. presented a comprehensive review of the classification of New World Colydiinae. This study enacted a number of taxonomic changes reflected in the fact sheets and key in our tool.

Updated taxonomy

The tribe Adimerini = Synchitini.

Stephaniolus Ivie et al., 2001 = Coxelus Dejean, 1821.

Stephaniolus longus (Stephan, 1989Stephan, 1989:
Stephan KH. 1989. The Bothrideridae and Colydiidae of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Clavicornia and Heteromera). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. 6: xii + 65 pp.) is now Coxelus longus (Stephan, 1989Stephan, 1989:
Stephan KH. 1989. The Bothrideridae and Colydiidae of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Clavicornia and Heteromera). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. 6: xii + 65 pp.).

Microsicus Sharp, 1894Sharp, 1894:
Sharp D. 1894. Colydiidae. In: Godman F, Salvin O, editors. Biologia-Centralia Americana. Insecta. Coleoptera. Volume 2, part 1. Dulau, London. p 443–488. = Synchita Hellwig, 1792.

Microsicus obscurus (Horn, 1885Horn, 1885:
Horn GH. 1885. Contributions to the coleopterology of the United States. No.4. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 12:128–162, illus.) is now Synchita obscura Horn, 1885Horn, 1885:
Horn GH. 1885. Contributions to the coleopterology of the United States. No.4. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 12:128–162, illus.

Microsicus parvulus (Guérin-Méneville, 1829Guérin-Méneville, 1829:
Guérin-Méneville FE. 1829. Iconographie du regne animal de G. Cuvier, Vol. 7, Insectes, 1829–1838 (1844), 576 p., 104 pls. Paris.) is now Synchita parvula Guérin-Méneville, 1829Guérin-Méneville, 1829:
Guérin-Méneville FE. 1829. Iconographie du regne animal de G. Cuvier, Vol. 7, Insectes, 1829–1838 (1844), 576 p., 104 pls. Paris.

Microsicus varieagtus (LeConte, 1858LeConte, 1858:
LeConte JL. 1858. Description of new species of Coleoptera, chiefly collected by the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission, under Major W. H. Emory, U.S.A. Proceedings of the Academy of National Science of Philadelphia. 10:59–89.): Transferring this species to Synchita, resulted in it being a secondary homonym of Cicones varieagus Hellwig, 1892 so Ivie et al. (2016)Ivie et al. (2016):
Ivie MA, Lord NP, Foley IA, Slipinski SA. 2016. Colydiine genera (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) of the New World: A key and nomenclatural acts 30 years in the making. The Coleopterists Bulletin 70(4):755–788. applied the replacement name Synchita lecontei Ivie, Lord, Foley, and Ślipiński, 2016 to this species.