Histeridae
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214678030
2008-05-24T19:15:10Z
Nneonneo
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/24.205.213.144|24.205.213.144]] ([[User talk:24.205.213.144|talk]]) to last version by ClueBot
{{Taxobox
| name = Histeridae
| image = Hister impressus betula juice bialowieza beentree.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''[[Hister impressa]]''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Arthropod]]a
| classis = [[Insect]]a
| ordo = [[Beetle|Coleoptera]]
| superfamilia = [[Histeroidea]]
| familia = '''Histeridae'''
| familia_authority = [[Leonard Gyllenhaal|Gyllenhal]], 1808
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision =
''about 330, see text''
}}
{{wikispecies|Histeridae}}
'''Histeridae''' is a [[family (biology)|family]] of [[beetle]]s, commonly known as ''clown beetles'' or ''hister beetles''. They have a distinctive appearance, with flattened leg segments recalling the baggy or flowing clothes of clowns or actors ("hister" is from the [[Latin]] ''histrio'', actor). The 3,900 species of the family are found worldwide.
==Characteristics==
Clown beetles are small to medium sized. Two general body forms exist within the Histeridae. The more common form is nearly circular and very compact; the other form tends to be longer than wide and somewhat rectangular in shape. Many clown beetles are dark coloured, often black, but they may have red, orange, or yellow markings. There are often grooves in the beetle's underside into which the [[antenna (biology)|antennae]] and legs can be retracted when the beetle feels threatened. Their legs are flat and widened, an adaptation for digging in soil or dung. Such an adaptation is said to be [[fossorial]].
==Systematics and evolution==
Histeridae belong to the superfamily [[Histeroidea]], of the [[Staphyliniformia]] group. The family is currently divided into 330 genera and the following subfamilies:
*[[Abraeinae]]
*[[Chlamydopsinae]]
*[[Dendrophilinae]]
*[[Haeteriinae]]
*[[Histerinae]]
*[[Niponiinae]]
*[[Onthophilinae]]
*[[Saprininae]]
*[[Tribalinae]]
*[[Trypanaeinae]]
*[[Trypeticinae]]
The relationships and (monophyly) of the subfamilies are not clear yet, and recent studies have cast much doubt on the traditional views<ref>Caterino, M. S., and A. P. Vogler. 2002. The phylogeny of the Histeroidea. Cladistics 18(4):394-415</ref>.
==Ecology==
Clown beetles can usually be found living in dung, carrion, or animal burrows, where both the larvae and adults feed on the juvenile stages of other insects, especially those of [[fly|flies]]. In this way clown beetles can be instrumental in controlling certain livestock pests that breed in dung. The Hetaeriinae and Chlamydopsinae subfamilies are [[myrmecophilic]]
==Further reading==
For the [[Palaearctic]] fauna, the most up to date work is:
Witzgall, K. 1971: ''Famienreihe Histeroidea''. 10. ''Familie: Histeridae''. In Freude, H., Harde, K.W., Lohse, G.A. (Eds.): ''Die Käfer Mitteleuropas'' Vol. 3. Goecke & Evers, Krefeld: 156-189.
==External links==
*[http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Histeridae&contgroup=Hydrophiloidea Tree of life]
*[http://de.geocities.com/ruedp01/ Histeridae of Europe] {{de icon}}
==References==
*Peter W. Kovarik and Michael S. Caterino, "Histeridae", in [[Ross H. Arnett, Jr.]] and [[Michael C. Thomas]], ''[[American Beetles]]'' (CRC Press, 2001), vol. 1
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Beetles]]
[[Category:Histeridae]]
[[cs:Mršníkovití]]
[[de:Stutzkäfer]]
[[es:Histeridae]]
[[lt:Krypūnėliai]]
[[ja:エンマムシ]]
[[no:Stumpbiller]]
[[pl:Gnilikowate]]