Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
The subgeneric classification needs to be improved on a worldwide base. A few subgenera could probably be treated as separate genera, while others are no more that distinct species-groups, or are manifestly polyphiletic.
(1)Explanation of Names
Carpophilus Stephens 1829
'fruit-loving'
Numbers
~35 spp. in our area, ~250 worldwide, arranged into 9 subgenera
(2)(3)Identification
19 spp. imaged in
(4)(5);
C. fumatus shown
here; photos of 29 spp., incl. most of those regularly intercepted around the world, provided in
(2)
key covering many cosmopolitan spp.
(6)
Range
worldwide and across NA
(7), especially diverse in the tropics; several spp. are adventive (spread by commerce with stored products)
Habitat
Often found at sap flows, flowers, decaying fruit, and fungi. Some species are stored product pests.
Food
most spp. are associated with ripe/rotten or dried fruits/vegetables, but also known to attack healthy fruit
(2)
Colopterus truncatus and Carpophilus sayi were found to account for 54% of the nitidulids collected from fungal mats in MN (Ambourn et al. 2005)
Remarks
many spp. transmit yeast and bacterial pathogens to healthy fruit and are considered pests of fruit industries
(2)
Colopterus truncatus and Carpophilus sayi are considered to be the principal sap beetle vectors of oak wilt during spring in MN (Ambourn et al. 2005).
Print References
Ambourn A.K., Juzwik J., Moon R.D. (2005) Seasonal dispersal of the oak wilt fungus by
Colopterus truncatus and
Carpophilus sayi in Minnesota. Plant Disease 89: 1067-1076 (
Full text)
Appel D.N., Andersen K., Lewis R. (1986) Occurrence of Nitidulid beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Texas oak wilt centers. J. Econ. Entomol. 79: 1276-1279.
Appel D.N., Kurdyla T., Lewis R. (1990) Nitidulids as vectors of the oak wilt fungus and other Ceratocystis spp. in Texas. Eur. J. For. Pathol. 20: 412-417.
Grant V., Connell W.A. (1979) The association between
Carpophilus beetles and cactus flowers. Plant Syst. Evol. 133: 99–102 (
Full text)
