Belongs within: Elateroidea.
Contains: Silis, Cantharinae.
The Cantharidae are a group of soft-bodied beetles that are usually coloured in contrasting patterns of yellow and black, reflecting their production of distasteful defensive chemicals. Larvae are found in soil and leaf litter; most are predators though some are phytophagous (Lawrence & Britton 1991). Adults are commonly found on vegetation and are short-lived (Ramsdale 2002).
Within the Cantharidae, members of the subfamily Chauliognathinae are united by the presence of asymmetrical male genitalia. The Dysmorphocerinae are a Gondwanan subfamily in which males have enlarged paraprocts (Ramsdale 2002).
Characters (from Lawrence & Britton 1991): Elongate, parallel-sided, soft-bodied, usually in various combinations of yellow and black or bluish black; head relatively large and deflexed; labrum membranous, often inconspicuous; antennal insertions well separated; antenna eleven-segmented, filiform; pronotum oval or subquadrate and flattened; fore coxae projecting, trochantins exposed, fore coxal cavities externally and internally open; mid coxal cavities medially contiguous, laterally open; tarsi pentamerous, fourth tarsal segment bilobed; abdomen with seven or eight ventrites, none connate; male genitalia usually large, asymmetrical, exposed. Larva elongate, lightly sclerotised (although often darkly pigmented or patterned), with characteristic clothing of fine, velvety pile; stemmata well developed; mandibles more or less falcate; gular region well developed, without or with fused sutures; paired glandular openings on all thoracic and abdominal segments; segment 10 reduced and terminal.
<==Cantharidae [Telephoridae, Telephorinae]
|--Chauliognathinae [Chauliognathidae]MW15
| |--IchthyuriniR02
| | |--Ichthyurus Westwood 1848 (see below for synonymy)R02
| | | |--I. arizonensisR02
| | | `--I. lateralisR02
| | `--Trypherus LeConte 1851 [incl. Lygerus Kiesenwetter 1852, Molorchus Say 1824 non Fabricius 1792]R02
| | |--T. babaiB14
| | |--T. blaisdelliR02
| | `--T. rossicus (Barovsky 1922)B14
| `--ChauliognathiniR02
| |--Belotus Gorham 1881R02
| `--Chauliognathus Hentz 1830 (see below for synonymy)R02
| |--‘Selenurus’ annulatus Macl. 1887L09
| |--‘Selenurus’ apicalis Macl. 1887L09
| |--‘Selenurus’ appendiculatus Lea 1909L09
| |--C. apterusLB91
| |--C. basalisR02
| |--‘Ichthyurus’ depressicollis Macleay 1872L09, Mas86 (see below for synonymy)
| |--‘Selenurus’ granulatus Lea 1895L09
| |--C. leconteiB14
| |--C. lugubrisLB91
| |--C. marginatusR02
| |--C. nobilitatusM85
| |--C. opacusMW15
| |--C. pennsylvanicusAT01
| |--C. profundus LeConte 1858B14
| |--C. pulchellusB74
| |--‘Selenurus’ sydneyanus Blackb. 1892L09
| |--‘Selenurus’ tricolor Lea 1895 [incl. S. fernshawensis Blackburn 1900]L09
| |--‘Selenurus’ variegatus Blackburn 1892L09
| `--‘Selenurus’ v-flavus Lea 1909L09
`--+--+--SilinaeMW15
| | | i. s.: AsiosilisKB11
| | | LaemoglyptusKB11
| | |--Tytthonyx LeConte 1851 [incl. Spathizus LeConte 1884; Tytthonyxini]R02
| | | `--T. (Thinalmus Gorham 1881)R02
| | | `--T. (T.) bicolorR02
| | `--SiliniR02
| | | i. s.: ‘Plectonotum’ excisumR02
| | |--SilisMW15
| | |--Ditemnus LeConte 1861R02
| | | `--D. latilobusR02
| | |--Polemius LeConte 1851 [incl. Silogaster Pic 1913]R02
| | | `--P. laticornisR02
| | `--Discodon Gorham 1881R02
| | |--D. bipunctatumR02
| | `--D. planicolleR02
| `--CantharinaeKB11
`--MalthininaeMW15
|--MalthininiR02
| |--Caccodes Sharp 1885R02
| | `--C. oceaniaeR02
| `--Malthinus Latreille 1806KB11, R02 (see below for synonymy)
| |--M. flaveolusKB11
| |--M. flavusR26
| |--M. longipennis Lucas 1846E12
| |--M. luteusR02
| |--M. marginatus [=Thelephorus (Malthinus) marginatus]G20
| `--M. pulchellus Lucas 1846E12
`--+--+--MaltypusKB11
| `--InmalthodesKB11
`--MalthodiniR02
|--Frostia Fender 1951 [incl. Stenomaltypus Wittmer 1978]R02
| |--F. laticollisR02
| `--F. malkiniR02
`--Malthodes Kiesenwetter 1852KB11, R02 (see below for synonymy)
|--M. forficatusR02
|--M. ligulifer Bergroth 1890B90
|--M. minimusG00
|--M. ruficollisC01
`--M. spadoniB90
Cantharidae incertae sedis:
SphaerarthrumLB91
Palestrida bicolorMas86
CacomorphocerusP92
Prosthaptus Gorham 1900G00
`--*P. claudus Gorham 1900G00
DysmorphocerinaeR02
|--NeoontelusR02
`--Plectonotum Gorham 1891R02
Crudosils ruficollisR02
Tylocerus antennatusMac86
Chauliognathus Hentz 1830 [incl. Callianthia Dejean 1833, Cantharodema Castelnau 1840, Haplous Fairemaire 1885, Selenurus Fairmaire 1877, Xeniscus Pic 1955, Xenismus Waterhouse 1878]R02
Ichthyurus Westwood 1848 [incl. Biurus Motschulsky 1853, Dissacurus Gemminger 1872, Diurus Gemminger & Harold 1869]R02
‘Ichthyurus’ depressicollis Macleay 1872L09, Mas86 [=Selenurus depressicollisL09; incl. S. depressicollis var. luteopictus Fairm. 1877L09]
Malthinus Latreille 1806KB11, R02 [incl. Malachidius Motschulsky 1859R02, Proceutes Sahlberg 1913R02, Progeutes Abeille de Perrin 1894R02, Projeutes Pic 1911R02, Ymnis Gozis 1886R02]
Malthodes Kiesenwetter 1852KB11, R02 [incl. Apodistrus Reitter 1882R02, Dalthomes Fiori 1905R02, Hapaloderus Motschulsky 1852R02, Maltharcus Weise 1892R02, Malthinellus Seidlitz 1889R02, Malthodinus Fiori 1905R02, Mesomalthodes Fiori 1905R02, Paramalthodes Weise 1893R02, Podistrella Seidlitz 1889R02, Podistrina Seidlitz 1889R02, Promalthodes Fiori 1905R02]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
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[LB91] Lawrence, J. F., & E. B. Britton. 1991. Coleoptera (beetles). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 543–683. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).
[L09] Lea, A. M. 1909. Revision of the Australian and Tasmanian Malacodermidae. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1909 (1): 45–251, pls 2–6.
[Mac86] Macleay, W. 1886. The insects of the Fly River, New Guinea, “Coleoptera”. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (1): 136–157.
[Mas86] Masters, G. 1886. Catalogue of the described Coleoptera of Australia. Part IV. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (2): 259–380.
[M85] Matthews, E. G. 1985. A Guide to the Genera of Beetles of South Australia. Part 4. Polyphaga: Byrrhoidea, Buprestoidea, Dryopoidea, Elateroidea, Cantharoidea, Derodontoidea, and Bostrichoidea. South Australian Museum: Adelaide.
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[P92] Poinar, G. O., Jr. 1992. Life in Amber. Stanford University Press: Stanford.
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[R26] Risso, A. 1826. Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l’Europe méridionale et particulièrement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes maritimes vol. 5. F.-G. Levrault: Paris.