The family Lophocateridae is one of the smaller but morphologically well-defined groups of beetles within the superfamily Cleroidea. It comprises mainly small to medium-sized species with an elongated, often somewhat flattened body, which is usually conspicuously hairy or covered with scaly hairs. Colouration is highly variable and, in many species, forms a contrasting pattern on the elytra. The antennae are usually segmented with a distinct club-shaped tip. Members of the family are predominantly predatory or saproxylic; both larvae and adults often develop under tree bark, in decaying wood or in wood-decaying fungi, where they hunt other small invertebrates. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, though the highest diversity is found in tropical regions. Currently, several dozen genera and more than a hundred species have been described, although the taxonomic concept of the group has evolved in recent decades and some genera were previously classified within the family Trogossitidae. Members of the Lophocateridae play an important role in the decomposition processes of forest ecosystems and in regulating the populations of other insects associated with dead wood.

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Family Card

Ancyrona japonica

 

Grynocharis oblonga