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Family Omethidae - False Soldier Beetles

Representative Images

Telegeusis texensis Fleenor and Taber - Telegeusis texensis - male Ginglymocladus discoidea Van Dyke - Ginglymocladus discoidea - male Cantharid-like beetle - Troglomethes oregonensis Ginglymocladus discoidea Telegeusis nubifer? - Telegeusis nubifer Ginglymocladus sp - Ginglymocladus luteicollis - male Thripinae ? - Telegeusis schwarzi Male, Telegeusis nubifer? - Telegeusis nubifer

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Elateriformia)
Superfamily Elateroidea
Family Omethidae (False Soldier Beetles)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Telegeusidae into Omethidae: Kundrata, et al. (2014)

Explanation of Names

Omethidae LeConte 1861

Numbers

10 spp. in 7 genera of 2 subfamilies in our area, >30 spp. in 8 genera of 3 subfamilies worldwide (Driloninae, with >20 spp. in a single genus, is Oriental)(1)

Identification

Labrum distinct and sclerotized; abdomen lacking paired glandular openings on tergites; both tarsomeres 3 and 4 with bifid ventral lobes.

Range

except for one Oriental genus and the Holarctic Omethus (1 sp. in e. US + 1 sp. in Japan), the rest are endemic to NA, with Blatchleya known from OH-IN-TN and 5 genera restricted to the Pacific states (CA-OR)(1)

Habitat

mostly taken from foliage during the day; some in forest litter(1)

Remarks

rarely encountered; biology, incl. feeding habits, is barely known(1)

Print References

Kundrata, R., M. Bocakova, L. Bocak. (2014). The comprehensive phylogeny of the superfamily Elateroidea (Coleoptera: Elateriformia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (76): 162-171. (Full Text)

Internet References

Family overview(2)

Works Cited

1.American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
2.Lawrence J.F., et al. (2000-2005) Elateriformia (Coleoptera): descriptions, illustrations, identification...
Contributed by Boris Büche on 16 May, 2007 - 4:04am
Additional contributions by Phillip Harpootlian, Mike Quinn, v belov, Arturo Santos
Last updated 18 July, 2025 - 5:16pm

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