Tritoma

For the plant genus, see Kniphofia.

Tritoma is a genus of beetles in the family Erotylidae, the pleasing fungus beetles. It is distributed worldwide, mainly in the Old World.^[2] There are over 100 species.^[2]

Tritoma
Tritoma bipustulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Erotylidae
Tribe:	Tritomini
Genus:	Tritoma Fabricius, 1775[1]

Tritoma sanguinipennis

Some species consume euagaric mushrooms, staying concealed amidst the gills as they feed.^[3] Some feed on mushrooms growing from dead trees, as well as mycorrhizae on living roots.^[4] One of the most common pleasing fungus beetles in Europe, T. bipustulata, is a black beetle with red spots which engages in autohaemorrhaging as a defensive behavior.^[5]

Molecular analysis suggests that Tritoma is paraphyletic, and might be best treated as two separate genera.^[3]

Selected species

• Tritoma angulata Say, 1826 ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma atriventris LeConte, 1847 ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma aulica (Horn, 1871) ^{i c g}
• Tritoma biguttata (Say, 1825) ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma bipustulata Fabricius, 1775 ^g
• Tritoma erythrocephala Lacordaire, 1842 ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma fasciata Chujo, 1941 ^g
• Tritoma gressitti (Chujo, 1968) ^g
• Tritoma humeralis Fabricius, 1801 ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma kanekoi Araki, 1943 ^g
• Tritoma metasobrina Chujo, 1941 ^g
• Tritoma mimetica (Crotch, 1873) ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma pulchra Say, 1826 ^{i c g b} (handsome tritoma)
• Tritoma sanguinipennis (Say, 1825) ^{i c g b} (red-winged tritoma)
• Tritoma shirakii Chujo, 1936 ^g
• Tritoma subbasalis (Reitter, 1896) ^g
• Tritoma sungkangensis Nakane, 1966 ^g
• Tritoma taiwana Chujo, 1936 ^g
• Tritoma takasagona Chujo, 1941 ^g
• Tritoma tenebrosa Fall, 1912 ^{i c g b} (darkling tritoma)
• Tritoma unicolor Say, 1826 ^{i c g b}
• Tritoma yamazii Chujo, 1941 ^g
• Tritoma yiei Nakane, 1966 ^g

Data sources: i = ITIS,^[6] c = Catalogue of Life,^[7] g = GBIF,^[8] b = Bugguide.net^[9]