Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

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Interactive image map to choose major taxa Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

Upcoming Events

National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Family Micromalthidae - Telephone-pole Beetles

Representative Images

Micromalthidae Micromalthus debilis - Micromalthus debilis Micromalthus debilis - Micromalthus debilis - female Micromalthus debilis - Micromalthus debilis Micromalthus debilis - Micromalthus debilis Micromathus debilis - Micromalthus debilis Micromalthus debilis - Micromalthus debilis - male Micromalthus debilis Beetle - Micromalthus debilis

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Archostemata
Family Micromalthidae (Telephone-pole Beetles)

Explanation of Names

Micromalthidae Barber 1913

Numbers

one extant species(1), sevral extinct genera

Size

1.5‒2.5 mm

Range

native to e.US, spread globally by timber trade(1)

Habitat

Larvae in decaying wood(1)

Life Cycle

hypermetamorphosis(1)

Remarks

one of the oldest beetle lineages, known since Permian

Works Cited

1.American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia
Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 23 January, 2008 - 9:20am
Additional contributions by Bbarnd, Mike Quinn, v belov, Marci Hess
Last updated 20 May, 2025 - 10:45am

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