Cypherotylus californicus
Cypherotylus californicus, known commonly as the blue fungus beetle or blue pleasing fungus beetle, is a species of pleasing fungus beetle in the family Erotylidae. It is recorded from Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Kansas in the United States, and the Mexican state of Sonora.[1] The elytra are blue with black dots, with the blue turning gray as they age. The adult beetles typically are about 1.4–1.8 cm (0.6–0.7 in) long.[2]
| Cypherotylus californicus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Erotylidae |
| Genus: | Cypherotylus |
| Species: | C. californicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cypherotylus californicus (Lacordaire, 1842) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Biology
The beetle starts its life in the spring when it hatches from an egg, and pupates in the summer. It mates and lays eggs in the late summer and early fall. It feeds on fungi that it finds growing on logs and trees.
Gallery
- video of feeding on fungus
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Cypherotylus californicus feeding on fungus
larva of Cypherotylus californicus
References
- Branham, M.A. (1993) A new eastern record for Cypherotylus californicus Lacordaire in the United States (Coleoptera: Erotylidae). Coleopterists Bulletin 47: 81–82. JSTOR
- "Species Cypherotylus californicus". BugGuide. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
Further reading
- Lobl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2007). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 4: Elateroidea - Derodontoidea - Bostrichoidea - Lymexyloidea - Cleroidea - Cucujoidea. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-8788757675.
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