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CLAMBIDAE
Author: John F. Lawrence, 2001. |
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Suborder Polyphaga, Series Scirtiformia, Superfamily Scirtoidea. |
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Antenae with 8 to 10 segments and a 2 segments club. Antennal insertions exposed or concealed. Visible portion of procoxa projecting bellow prosternum with the trochantin at least partly exposed. Procoxal cavity externally open and internally open. Mesocoxae contigous to separated by less than 0.4 X coxal width, with mesocoxal cavity laterally open. Tarsal formula 4-4-4 or 3-3-3. Number of ventrites 5 or 6 without ventrites connate. Body length 0.7-3 mm. Body globular, glabrous or pubescent. Head strongly declined and body usually capable of rolling into ball. Metacoxal plates enlarged and partly concealing legs. |
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Most Clambidae are easily distinguished from all other beetles by a combination of small size (2 mm or less), very fine tarsi, 2-segmented antennal club, large metacoxal plates covering most of the hind legs, and a large, strongly declined head which may reach the metathorax when the body is contracted into a ball. Probably the most atypical genus is Acalyptomerus in which the body is less capable of compaction and the head is relatively small. Easily confused with Clambidae are members of the nitidulid subfamily Cybocephalinae (last figure), which have large heads and are capable of rolling into a ball; cybocephalines, lack metacoxal plates (penultimate figure) and have broader, setose tarsi. |
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Acalyptomerinae: Acalyptomerus. |
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| Acalyptomerinae (Acalyptomerus) |
Clambinae (Clambus) |
With metacoxal plates |
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| Cybocephalus (Nitidulidae) |
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