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Family:
Silphidae (carrion beetles)
Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda
> Insecta
(insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola >
Holometabola > Coleoptera
(beetles)
> Polyphaga
> Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Fairly large beetles, 7 - 45 mm long, usually blue-black
in colour. The elytra are ribbed longitudinally and not cover the entire
abdomen, exposing 1-4 abdominal segments. They feed mainly on carrion
but some are known to feed on snails or are plant feeders. There are three known
species in southern Africa.
One of three species in southern Africa
Page by Margie Cochrane |
