Platerodrilus

Platerodrilus
	male and female of Platerodrilus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Elateriformia
Family:	Lycidae
Subfamily:	Leptolycinae
Tribe:	Duliticolini
Genus:	Platerodrilus; Pic, 1921
Species
	see text
Synonyms
	Duliticola Mjöberg, 1925; Falsocalochromus Pic, 1942; Platerodriloplesius Wittmer, 1944; Platrilus Kazantsev, 2009

Platerodrilus is a genus of beetles of the family Lycidae. They commonly appear in the literature under the name Duliticola, which is an obsolete junior synonym.^[1] The females retain a larval form as adults (larviform females) and are about 40–80 mm in length. The females and larvae have a flattened, dark body with large scales over the head, resembling trilobites, hence the informal names trilobite beetle, trilobite larva or Sumatran trilobite larva. Additionally, the females feed on rotting wood, fungi, slime molds, and small organisms, which helps break down decay.^[2] In contrast, the males are much smaller, 8–9 mm, resembling other lycid beetles. The males are likely to feed on nectar for energy to fly and mate.^[2] Species are found in tropical forests of India and South-east Asia.

Quick facts Scientific classification, Species ...

Although the females resemble the prehistoric trilobite, the trilobite beetle evolved approximately 47 million years ago, 200 million years after trilobites had gone extinct.^[3] As only the females have this appearance the search for the species' males remained a mystery until Swedish zoologist Eric Mjöberg published a research paper describing them in 1925.^[4]

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[2]

[3]

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Platerodrilus

Species

References

External links

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