|
| Elateriformia (Coleoptera) larvae |
Polyphaga: Elateriformia.
Heteroceridae is a widespread family, but is absent from New Zealand.
Larvae of Heteroceridae live in burrows in wet sand or mud along the banks of streams, ponds or other bodies of water; they feed on diatoms, algae and other organic material which is taken into the gut along with quantities of the substrate.
References
Böving, A. G. and Craighead, F. C. (1931). An illustrated synopsis of the principal larval forms of the order Coleoptera. Entomologica Americana (New Series) 1: 1–351, 125 pls.
Lawrence, J. F. (1991). Heteroceridae (Dryopoidea), pp 402–404 in Stehr, F. W. (ed.), Immature Insects. Vol. II. Kendall Hunt: Dubuque, Iowa.
Body. Length less than 3 mm, or 3 to 15 mm. Body not broadly ovate and strongly flattened; relatively straight or only slightly curved ventrally; circular in cross-section, or slightly flattened; body, as viewed from above elongate and more or less parallel-sided. Vestiture consisting of fine hairs or setae only. Dorsal surfaces more or less heavily pigmented or sclerotized; generally smooth. Ventral surfaces very lightly pigmented.
Head. Head prognathous or slightly declined; protracted or slightly retracted; not concealed from above by prothorax; narrower than thorax; not forming sclerotized, serrate, wedge-like plate. Head capsule not strongly depressed and wedge-like anteriorly; posterior edge of head capsule not or only slightly emarginate. Median epicranial region without longitudinal furrow. Epicranial stem absent or very short. Frontal arms present; V-shaped or U-shaped; not joined anteriorly by transverse line; bases of frontal arms distinctly separated. Median endocarina absent or coincident with epicranial stem. Paired endocarinae absent or coincident with frontal arms. Number of stemmata five. Number of antennal segments three. Ratio of antennal length to head width less than 0.15. Sensorium(a) on preapical antennal segment present; as long as or longer than apical segment. Sensorium(a) on preapical (or apical) antennal segment dome-like. Apex of preapical antennal segment truncate, so that sensorium and apical segment arise together. Antennal base without eversible membranous lobe. Frontoclypeal suture distinct. Labrum separated from head capsule by complete suture; without crenulate emargination. Epipharyngeal rods absent. Mouthparts not forming sucking tube. Mandibles symmetrical; opposable, at least slightly curving mesally at apex; not approximate, diverging and longitudinally divided; broad at base and narrow at apex; without groove or perforation. Apex of mandible narrow when viewed from in front (parallel or oblique to plane of movement); bilobed or bidentate. Accessory ventral process of mandible absent. Incisor edge of mandible simple. Mesal surface of mandibular base with mola or basal processing area. Mandibular mola present; mola without hyaline lobe or brush at base; molar surface simple. Prostheca absent, or a rigid hyaline process, fixed or articulated, sometimes partly sclerotized. Prostheca or basal mandibular process narrow with acute or narrowly rounded apex; glabrous. Ventral mouthparts retracted. Cardo distinct and sclerotized; divided by internal ridge; transverse to slightly oblique. Cardines or maxillary bases separated from each other by labium, or closely approximate or contiguous, not separated by labium. Stipes longer than wide. Maxillary articulating area absent. Maxilla with articulated galea and fixed lacinia. Mala or galea consisting of a single segment. Apex of mala or galea rounded or truncate; setose or spinose. Apex of lacinia rounded or truncate; setose or spinose. Number of segments in maxillary palp three. First segment of maxillary palp without digitiform appendage. Labium consisting of prementum and postmentum. Mentum, postmentum or labial plate completely or almost completely connate with maxillae. Postmentum or labial plate subquadrate or trapezoidal, with blunt posterior edge, or subtriangular, with acute posterior edge. Postmentum or labial plate not divided longitudinally. Ligula shorter than labial palp. Ligula simple, not bilobed; without tooth-like sclerome. Number of segments in labial palp two. Labial palps separated by more than width of first palp segment. Hypopharyngeal bracon present. Hypopharyngeal sclerome absent. Hypostomal region present (separating labium from thorax). Hypostomal rods absent. Ventral epicranial ridges present. Gula wider than long; gular sutures separate. Gula or gular region separated from labium by suture. Occipital foramen not divided by tentorial bridge.
Thorax. Prothorax not or only slightly wider than abdomen; not longer than meso- and metathorax combined. Thoracic terga without patches of asperities; without rows of asperities or carinae. Protergum with 1 or more sclerotized plates. Meso- and metaterga with 1 or more sclerotized plates. Thorax without well-developed lateral tergal processes. Prosternum without armature. Mesocoxae or coxal lobes separated by less than 1 basal coxal diameter. Thoracic legs articulated. Number of segments in mesothoracic leg five including pretarsus (claw). Number of segments in mesothoracic leg five or fewer including pretarsus (claw). Legs not highly reduced, more than 0.2 times as long as head width. Metathoracic leg about same size as mesothoracic leg. Meso- and metathoracic legs not forming stridulatory organ. Apical segment of leg acute and claw-like (or consisting of 2 claws). Number of movable pretarsal claws one. Number of setae on pretarsus one. Thoracic spiracles annular-uniforous, or cribriform; not placed at ends of spiracular tubes.
Abdomen. Ratio of length of abdomen (without appendages) to length of thorax more than 2.0. Number of visible abdominal segments ten. Abdominal terga not extending laterally beyond edges of sterna; without patches of asperities; without rows of asperities. Abdomen without well-developed lateral processes. Abdominal tergum 3 without transverse dorsal folds or lobes; simple, not divided into transverse dorsal folds or lobes. Paired abdominal glands (openings or porous plates) absent. Dorsal, balloon-like tracheal gills absent. Long and narrow, lateral gills absent. Abdominal sterna without patches of asperities; without rows of asperities. Paired ventral prolegs (or asperity-bearing ampullae) absent. Ventral abdominal gill tufts absent. Abdominal tergum 8 without special armature. Abdominal apex without respiratory chamber. Abdominal segment 9 excluding appendages shorter than segment 8. Abdominal tergum 9 not forming articulated plate; completely dorsal; without paired processes or urogomphi; without median process or terminal disc. Abdominal sternum 9 partly or entirely exposed; simple or apparently absent; not enclosed by sternum 8. Abdominal apex without hinged operculum. Abdominal segment 10 without oval lobes separated by longitudinal groove; concealed from above, sometimes membranous or more or less fused to segment 9, or distinct and visible from above; without asperated, tubular holdfast organs. Paired pygopods on segment 10 absent. Anal region posteriorly or terminally oriented, or posteroventrally oriented. Anal gill tufts absent. Anal hooks absent. Anterior abdominal spiracles annular-uniforous, or cribriform. Abdominal spiracles not placed at ends of spiracular tubes. Eighth abdominal spiracles functional and about the same size as others on abdomen; abdominal spiracle 8 lateral or dorsolateral, facing laterally.
Illustrations. • Lanternarius.
The interactive key provides access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, and summaries of attributes within any group of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Lawrence, J.F., Hastings, A.M., Dallwitz, M.J., Paine, T.A., and Zurcher, E.J. 1995 onwards. Elateriformia (Coleoptera) larvae. Version: 12th September 2018. delta-intkey.com’.
