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Cladus: Eukaryota Name Buprestidae Leach, 1815 References * Jewel Beetles (Coleoptera:Buprestidae) Vernacular names Buprestidae is a family of beetles, known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,000 species known in 450 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described.[1] The larger and more spectacularly colored jewel beetles are highly prized by insect collectors. The elytrae of some Buprestidae species have been traditionally used in beetlewing jewellery and decoration in certain countries in Asia, like India, Thailand and Japan. Shape is generally cylindrical or elongate to ovoid, with lengths ranging from 3 mm to an impressive 100 mm, although most species are under 20 mm. A variety of bright colors are known, often in complicated patterns. The iridescence common to these beetles is not due to pigments in the exoskeleton, but instead physical iridescence in which microscopic texture in their cuticle selectively reflects specific frequencies of light in particular directions. This is the same effect that makes a compact disc reflect multiple colors. The larvae bore through roots, logs, stems, and leaves of various types of plants, ranging from trees to grasses. The wood boring types generally favor dying or dead branches on otherwise-healthy trees, while a few types attack green wood; some of these are serious pests capable of killing trees and causing major economic damage. Some species are attracted to recently-burned forests to lay their eggs. They can sense pine wood smoke from up to 50 miles away, and can see infrared light, helping them to zero in as they get closer to a forest fire[citation needed]. They will bite if they feel threatened, and can aggregate to swarms of biting beetles in recently burned areas.
Systematics Jewel beetle classification is not yet robustly established, although there appear to be five or six main lineages, which may be considered subfamilies, possibly with one or two being raised to families in their own right. Some other systems define up to 14 subfamilies. The commonly-accepted subfamilies, with some representative genera and species, are: Agrilinae – cosmopolitan, with most taxa occurring in the Northern Hemisphere * Agrilus Buprestinae – cosmopolitan * Agrilozodes Chrysochroinae * Capnodis Galbellinae * Galbella Julodinae * Aaata Polycestinae * Acmaeodera References 1. ^ "The first fossil buprestids from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of China (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)". Zootaxa 2745: 53–62. 2011. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/z02745p062f.pdf. * Bellamy, C.L. & Nelson, G.H. (2002): Buprestidae. In: Arnett, Ross H. Jr. & Thomas, Michael C.: American Beetles (Volume 2). CRC Press.
Insect Fossils: Buprestidae Source: Wikipedia. Wikispecies: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License |
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