The family Byturidae belongs to the order Coleoptera and comprises small to medium-sized beetles, distributed mainly in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Members of this family are usually 3–6 mm long, have an oval to elongated ovoid body and conspicuously dense hair on both the elytra and the scutellum, which gives them a matt appearance. Their colouration is generally brown to dark brown. These beetles are found primarily on the flowers and fruits of plants in the genus Rubus, where they feed on pollen and other plant tissues. The larvae develop inside the fruits, particularly raspberries and blackberries, and therefore some species are significant as agricultural pests. The best-known species is Byturus tomentosus, whose larvae damage developing raspberry fruits. From a morphological point of view, Byturidae are characterised, among other things, by five-segmented feet, serrated antennae and a relatively short, broad scutellum. Within the superfamily Cleroidea, they represent a small but ecologically well-defined group of beetles, closely associated with flowering shrubs.

Number of Species:

Family Card

Byturus ochraceus

 

Byturus tomentosus