Mormolyce is a genus of ground beetles in the subfamily Lebiinae.[1] They all possess distinctive violin-shaped elytra and live between layers of bracket fungi.
| Mormolyce | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mormolyce phyllodes | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Subfamily: | Lebiinae |
| Tribe: | Lebiini |
| Genus: | Mormolyce Hagenbach, 1825 |
| Species | |
|
7; see text | |
The habits of Mormolyce are not yet very clear, but from the few existing studies it has been determined that their larval habits are completely different from most other Carabidae: their larvae live in huge (20 to 30 cm wide, or even larger) and very hard bracket fungi, in which they excavate channels. They pupate in the fungi too. After emergence, they create an "unbelievable small" hole (even narrower than their own bodies) to escape from their larval chambers, making it incredible to understand how they get out, even "allowing for the softness of its tissues". Their adults - like other Carabidae - are predatory. [2]
Species
editThe genus contains the following seven species:[3]
- Mormolyce borneensis Gestro, 1875 — Indonesia
- Mormolyce castelnaudi Deyrolle, 1862 — Indonesia and Malaysia
- Mormolyce hagenbachii Westwood, 1862 — Indonesia and Malaysia
- Mormolyce matejmiciaki Ďuríček & Klícha, 2017 — Indonesia
- Mormolyce phyllodes Hagenbach, 1825 — Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Thailand
- Mormolyce quadraticollis Donckier, 1899 — Indonesia
- Mormolyce tridens Andrewes, 1941 — Indonesia
References
edit- ^ Lorenz, W. "Lebiini (1): Nomina Carabideum, Online Database", 2005. Retrieved on 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Notes on the Genus Mormolyce Hagenbach, A. Lieftinck". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Mormolyce Hagenbach, 1825". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
External links
edit
Data related to Mormolyce at Wikispecies
Media related to Mormolyce at Wikimedia Commons- Violin beetles on stamps
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