Haeterius
The beetle genus Haeterius is a myrmecophilous Histerid beetle distributed throughout Central and North America as well as in Europe, Africa and Asia. The adults are tick-like and are often fed by their host ants for the few species where the biology is known. The larvae remain undescribed although it expected that they develop within their host ant nest. The adults often bear a series of trichome hairs and associated glands, the role of the glandular secretions and trichome hairs have not been clearly defined. There are about twenty species in the genus in North America and each beetle species has a preferred host ant genus and species.
Haeterius brunneipennis in nest of Formica exsectoides
Genus and species | Author and Year | Ant Host | Distribution | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Haeterius blanchardi | LeConte, 1878 | Formica schaufussi, Formica pallidefulva | USA: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin | |
Haeterius brunneipennis | (Randall, 1838) | Formica exsectoides ; Formica montana, Formica obscuriventris, Formica subsericea | USA: Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin | Adult beetles obtain regurgitated food from ants |
Haeterius californicus | Horn, 1870 | host unknown | USA: California (type) | |
Haeterius dietrichi | Martin, 1922 | host unknown | North America | |
Haeterius exiguus | Mann, 1911 | Formica argentea, Formica fusca | USA: New Mexico, Washington (type) | |
Haeterius ferrugineus | (Oliver, 1789) | Formica fusca, Formica cinerea, Formica rufa | Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China) | |
Haeterius flavohirtus | Krása, 1941 | host unknown | Europe & Northern Asia (Excluding China) | |
Haeterius gratus | Lewis, 1884 | host unknown | Southern Asia | |
Haeterius helenae | Mann, 1914 | Formica subcyanea | Central America: Mexico | |
Haeterius hirsutus | Martin, 1920 | host unknown | California | |
Haeterius hubbardi | Mann, 1924 | Formica species | USA: Arizona (type) | |
Haeterius minimus | Fall, 1907 | host unknown | USA: Colorado (type) | |
Haeterius morsus | LeConte, 1859 | host unknown | USA: California (type), Mexico | |
Haeterius nudus | Martin, 1922 | host unknown | North America | |
Haeterius optatus | Lewis, 1884 | host unknown | Southern Asia | |
Haeterius ottomanus | Mazur, 1981 | host unknown | Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China) | |
Haeterius pilosus | Martin, 1922 | host unknown | North America | |
Haeterius plicicollis | Fairmaire, 1876 | host unknown | Africa | |
Haeterius schwarzi | Mann, 1924 | Formica gnava | USA: Arizona (type) | |
Haeterius setosus | Martin, 1922 | host unknown | North America | |
Haeterius strenuus | Fall, 1917 | Formica argentea | USA: California | |
Haeterius tristriatus | Horn, 1874 | Lasius neoniger , Formica manni | Canada: Alberta; USA: Arizona, California (type), Idaho, Utah, Washington | |
Haeterius vandykei | Martin, 1922 | host unknown | North America | |
Haeterius wagneri | Ross, 1938 | host unknown | USA: California | |
Haeterius wheeleri | Mann, 1911 | Formica species | USA: California (type) | |
Haeterius williamsi | Martin, 1920 | host unknown | North America | |
Haeterius zelus | Fall, 1917 | Formica francoeuri | USA: California (type) |
REFERENCES
- Bousquet, Yves, and Serge Laplante (2006) Coleoptera Histeridae: The Insects and Arachnids of Canada, part 24
- Fall, H.C. (1917) New Coleoptera. VI. Canadian Entomologist, 49 (5).
- Martin, J.O. (1922) Studies in the genus Hetaerius (Col., Histeridae). Entomological News, 33, 272–277, 289–293.
- Mazur, Slawomir (1997) A world catalogue of the Histeridae (Coleoptera: Histeroidea): Genus, International Journal of Invertebrate Taxonomy (Supplement)