The family Aderidae comprises small, inconspicuous beetles which, with their slender shape and characteristically tapered head, sometimes resemble ants. This small but widespread family comprises approximately 1,200 described species, classified into around 50 genera, and is found on every continent except Antarctica, with the centre of species diversity lying in the tropics. Adults are tiny, usually 1–4 mm long, most commonly brown, reddish-brown or black in colour, with finely granulated, hairy eyes. In the Czech Republic, they are found primarily in forest ecosystems, where they inhabit decomposing organic material such as rotting wood, leaf litter or the environment beneath the bark. Adults are usually observed on the undersides of leaves on shrubs and trees at the forest edges; some species inhabit tree hollows or insect nests. Aderidae are ecologically significant as part of decomposition processes, with both larvae and adults feeding mainly on fungi or detritus. In the Czech Republic, they are among the relatively rarely recorded families, which is linked to their secretive lifestyle and small size.

Number of Species:

Family Card

Aderus populneus

 

Anidorus nigrinus

 

Cobososia pruinosa

 

Euglenes nitidifrons

 

Euglenes pygmaeus

 

Phytobaenus amabilis

 

Pseudanidorus pentatomus

 

Vanonus brevicornis