The Lymexylidae (historically often spelled Lymexylonidae), also known as ship-timber beetles, are a family of wood-boring beetles. Lymexylidae belong to the suborder Polyphaga and are the sole member of the superfamily Lymexyloidea.
Lymexylon, Elateroides, and Melittomma are pests to forest trees such as chestnut, poplar, and oak, and can be found worldwide. Some species are parasitic, causing decay in living trees and damaging timber structures such as houses and ships. Wood boring activities occur primarily in the larva stage, with the larvae damaging both sapwood and heartwood. Lymexylidae larvae bore into living and decaying wood (e.g. Chestnut, Populus, and Oak) where they consume the fungus Endomyces hylecoeti.[1]
Symbiotic relationship with fungi
Lymexylidae larvae have a symbiotic association with certain types of fungi. The fungi grow in sheltered environments where they are tended by the larvae, such as the holes burrowed into the wood and, in return, the larvae feed on the fungi.[2]
Elateroides dermestoides lays eggs into boreholes of bark beetles on a fallen beech
Specifically, this species has evolved a relationship with the yeast-like fungus Endomyces hylecoeti. Every egg the female lays is coated with fungal spores from a pouch near her ovipositor. The larvae hatch and subsequently collect some of the spores by remaining close to the egg shells for a period of time, before tunneling further into the wood. The fungi grow on the tunnel walls created by the larvae. The larvae then consume the fungus, rather than the wood itself. As the fungi require air flow to grow, the larvae ensure the tunnels are free of any debris.[3]
There are over 60 species in these genera, including:
The ship timber beetle, Lymexylon navale
Two species are located in Eastern US and Canada: the sapwood timberworm Elateroides lugubris (Say) and the chestnut timberworm, Melittomma sericeum
Morphology
Adult morphology:
5–40 mm (0.20–1.6 in) long; elongate to slender, parallel-sided, vestiture consisting of fine setae; conspicuously necked to not necked; somewhat waisted.
Head short, typically narrowed behind large protruding eyes forming a slight neck; surface punctate, with or without epicranial pit.
Antennae short 11-segmented, filiform/serrate and often sexually dimorphic.
Maxillary palpi 4-segmented, simple in most females, and with apical segment modified into a complex flabellate or plumose organ in males-palporgan.
Tarsi 5-5-5 with legs slender, moderately long.
Hind-leg coxae extending laterally to meet the elytra (Lymexylon), or not markedly extended laterally (Elateroides).
Elytra individually tapered to their apices to not individually tapered; fairly short, exposing several terminal abdominal 1-3 tergites; all articulated and moveable.
Wings with fairly complete venation, radial cell short or absent.
Immature Morphology:
Whitish-yellow, elongate, thin, cylindrical with short but well developed legs.
Prognathous, stemmata absent or present may have eye spots.
Abdominal modifications found in older larvae.
Classification
The superfamily Lymexyloidea is currently within series Cucujoidea. The internal phylogeny has not been clearly understood/completed by experts. Morphological data places the family inside the Tenebrionoidea, while molecular data place it as sister taxon to Tenebrionoidea, and polyphyletic.
^Caroline S. Chaboo (2015), "Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Lymexylidae Fleming, 1821", Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 88 (2): 258–259, doi:10.2317/kent-88-02-258-259.1
^Ross Piper (2007). Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals. Greenwood Press.
^Lymexylidae Species List at Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog. Texas A&M University. Retrieved on 17 May 2012.
References
Arnett, Ross H., et al., eds. American Beetles: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. Vol. 2. CRC Press, 2002: 261-262. EBSCO printed on Sept. 21,2013.
Casari, S.A. and Albertoni, F.F., (2013). First Instar Larva of Atractocerus brasiliensis (Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1825) (Lymexylidae, Atractocerinae). Volume 53(27): 359‑372.
Kundrata, R., Bocakova, M., & Bocak, L. (2014). The comprehensive phylogeny of the superfamily Elateroidea (Coleoptera: Elateriformia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 76, 162-171.
Triplehorn, Charles A., Norman F. Johnson, and Donald J. Borror. Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects. Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole, 2005.
Wheeler, Q. D. (1986). Revision of the genera of Lymexylidae (Coleoptera: Cucujiformia). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 183:113-210.
External links
Wikispecies has information related to Ship-timber beetle.
L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz, Lymexylidae
Lymexylidae on ITIS
A video of Atractocerus brasiliensis, a ship timber beetle in Costa Rica
March 04, 2023
lymexylidae, historically, often, spelled, lymexylonidae, also, known, ship, timber, beetles, family, wood, boring, beetles, belong, suborder, polyphaga, sole, member, superfamily, lymexyloidea, ship, timber, beetlestemporal, range, aptian, recent, preꞒ, nlyme. The Lymexylidae historically often spelled Lymexylonidae also known as ship timber beetles are a family of wood boring beetles Lymexylidae belong to the suborder Polyphaga and are the sole member of the superfamily Lymexyloidea Ship timber beetlesTemporal range Aptian Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NLymexylon navaleScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder ColeopteraSuborder PolyphagaInfraorder CucujiformiaSuperfamily LymexyloideaFamily LymexylidaeFleming 1821An adult Lymexylon navale Contents 1 Habitat and behavior 1 1 Symbiotic relationship with fungi 2 Species and Genera 3 Morphology 4 Classification 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksHabitat and behavior Edit Example of an infested tree Lymexylon Elateroides and Melittomma are pests to forest trees such as chestnut poplar and oak and can be found worldwide Some species are parasitic causing decay in living trees and damaging timber structures such as houses and ships Wood boring activities occur primarily in the larva stage with the larvae damaging both sapwood and heartwood Lymexylidae larvae bore into living and decaying wood e g Chestnut Populus and Oak where they consume the fungus Endomyces hylecoeti 1 Symbiotic relationship with fungi Edit Lymexylidae larvae have a symbiotic association with certain types of fungi The fungi grow in sheltered environments where they are tended by the larvae such as the holes burrowed into the wood and in return the larvae feed on the fungi 2 source source source source source source source source source source source source source source Elateroides dermestoides lays eggs into boreholes of bark beetles on a fallen beech Specifically this species has evolved a relationship with the yeast like fungus Endomyces hylecoeti Every egg the female lays is coated with fungal spores from a pouch near her ovipositor The larvae hatch and subsequently collect some of the spores by remaining close to the egg shells for a period of time before tunneling further into the wood The fungi grow on the tunnel walls created by the larvae The larvae then consume the fungus rather than the wood itself As the fungi require air flow to grow the larvae ensure the tunnels are free of any debris 3 Species and Genera EditLymexylidae contain the following genera 4 Atractocerus Palisot de Beauvois 1801 Australymexylon Wheeler 1986 Elateroides Schaeffer 1766 Lymexylon Fabricius 1775 Melittomma Murray 1867 Melittommopsis Lane 1955 Protomelittomma Wheeler 1986 Urtea Paulus 2004 Adamas Chen amp Zhang 2020 Burmese amber Myanmar Late Cretaceous Cenomanian Cratoatractocerus Wolf Schwenninger 2011 Crato Formation Brazil Early Cretaceous Aptian Cretoquadratus Chen 2019 Burmese amber Myanmar Cenomanian Ponomarenkylon Kirejtshuk 2008 Baltic amber Eocene Vetatractocerus Yamamoto 2019 Burmese amber Myanmar CenomanianThere are over 60 species in these genera including The ship timber beetle Lymexylon navale Two species are located in Eastern US and Canada the sapwood timberworm Elateroides lugubris Say and the chestnut timberworm Melittomma sericeumMorphology EditAdult morphology 5 40 mm 0 20 1 6 in long elongate to slender parallel sided vestiture consisting of fine setae conspicuously necked to not necked somewhat waisted Head short typically narrowed behind large protruding eyes forming a slight neck surface punctate with or without epicranial pit Antennae short 11 segmented filiform serrate and often sexually dimorphic Maxillary palpi 4 segmented simple in most females and with apical segment modified into a complex flabellate or plumose organ in males palporgan Tarsi 5 5 5 with legs slender moderately long Hind leg coxae extending laterally to meet the elytra Lymexylon or not markedly extended laterally Elateroides Elytra individually tapered to their apices to not individually tapered fairly short exposing several terminal abdominal 1 3 tergites all articulated and moveable Wings with fairly complete venation radial cell short or absent Immature Morphology Whitish yellow elongate thin cylindrical with short but well developed legs Prognathous stemmata absent or present may have eye spots Abdominal modifications found in older larvae Classification EditThe superfamily Lymexyloidea is currently within series Cucujoidea The internal phylogeny has not been clearly understood completed by experts Morphological data places the family inside the Tenebrionoidea while molecular data place it as sister taxon to Tenebrionoidea and polyphyletic See also EditForest pathologyNotes Edit Caroline S Chaboo 2015 Beetles Coleoptera of Peru A Survey of the Families Lymexylidae Fleming 1821 Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 88 2 258 259 doi 10 2317 kent 88 02 258 259 1 Casari Sonia A Teixeira Edson Possidonio 2011 Larva of Atractocerus brasiliensis Lepeletier amp Audinet Serville 1825 Lymexylidae Atractocerinae Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia Sao Paulo 51 12 197 205 doi 10 1590 S0031 10492011001200001 ISSN 0031 1049 Ross Piper 2007 Extraordinary Animals An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals Greenwood Press Lymexylidae Species List at Joel Hallan s Biology Catalog Texas A amp M University Retrieved on 17 May 2012 References EditArnett Ross H et al eds American Beetles Polyphaga Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea Vol 2 CRC Press 2002 261 262 EBSCO printed on Sept 21 2013 Casari S A and Albertoni F F 2013 First Instar Larva of Atractocerus brasiliensis Lepeletier amp Audinet Serville 1825 Lymexylidae Atractocerinae Volume 53 27 359 372 Kundrata R Bocakova M amp Bocak L 2014 The comprehensive phylogeny of the superfamily Elateroidea Coleoptera Elateriformia Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 76 162 171 Triplehorn Charles A Norman F Johnson and Donald J Borror Borror and DeLong s Introduction to the Study of Insects Belmont CA Thompson Brooks Cole 2005 Wheeler Q D 1986 Revision of the genera of Lymexylidae Coleoptera Cucujiformia Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 183 113 210 External links Edit Wikispecies has information related to Ship timber beetle L Watson and M J Dallwitz Lymexylidae Lymexylidae on ITIS A video of Atractocerus brasiliensis a ship timber beetle in Costa Rica Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lymexylidae amp oldid 1135254859, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
