Zopheridae
| Zopheridae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Ironclad beetle, Zopherus nodulosus (Zopherinae) | |
| Aprostoma planifrons (Colydiinae) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Superfamily: | Tenebrionoidea |
| Family: | Zopheridae Solier, 1834 |
| Subfamilies | |
|
Colydiinae - cylindrical bark beetles | |
Zopheridae is a family of beetles belonging to Tenebrionoidea. It has grown considerably in recent years as the members of two other families are now included (Monommatidae and Colydiidae), as subfamilies or (in the former case) even as tribe of subfamily Zopherinae. Some authors accept up to six subfamilies here, while others merge all except the Colydiinae into the Zopherinae.
The family has approximately 190 genera and 1700 species, which are found worldwide. A large number of members of the family feed on rotting wood or fungus associated with rotting wood, though some members of Colydiinae are predatory, or feed on living plant tissue such as roots, stems, flower stalks and fruit.
The oldest fossils of the family are Paleoendeitoma (subfamily Colydiinae, tribe Synchitini) and Cretomysteria from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber from Myanmar.