A morphological study of the tree-fungus beetle, Xylographus bostrichoides (Coleoptera: Ciidae) from Iran

Abstract

Previous investigations related to tree-fungus beetle, Xylographus bostrichoides (Dufour) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Ciidae) have not studied beetle's morphology in detail. This beetle is associated with tree fungi and collected from Fomes sp (Polyporales: Fomitopsidaceae). Pregenital ring, and the almond-shaped plates of abdominal terminalia, are useful characters for the species identification. Also, frontoclypeal area, first abdominal sternite, and abdominal terminalia are the important characters for the female and male separation. The larvae and adult specimens of X. bostrichoides (Dufour, 1843) studied here were found feeding on the dried fruit body (basidiome) of Fomes sp., which had been stored for a long time as a mushroom stored product. The signs and symptoms of the beetle damage (feeding) on the mushroom are also described.

Keywords

• ciidae
• fungus beetles
• morphology
• tenebrionoidea
• iran