Zopherinae

Ironclad beetles Ironclad beetle, Zopherus nodulosus haldemani Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Eumetazoa Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Infraorder: Cucujiformia Superfamily: Tenebrionoidea Family: Zopheridae Subfamily: Zopherinae Tribes Latometini Monommatini Phellopsini Pycnomerini Usechini Zopherini see text

Zopherinae is a subfamily of beetles, commonly known as ironclad beetles. Together with the subfamily Usechinae, they have been treated historically as a family, but have recently been joined by several additional taxa, making the Zopheridae a much larger composite family, and the Zopherinae are now only a small component within it, consisting of seven genera in the tribe Zopherini and one genus, Phellopsis in its own tribe (Phellopsini).

These beetles are apparently fungivores and associated with rotting wood, and as the common name implies, have one of the hardest of all arthropod exoskeletons; in some species, it is almost impossible to drive an insect pin through their bodies without using a small drill to make a hole first.

When disturbed, ironclad beetles play dead.

Some species in the genus Zopherus in Mexico are decorated with costume jewelry glued to their bodies, and sold as living brooches, known as ma'kech.^[1]

Selected species

Ironclad beetle, Zopherus nodulosus

• Genus Phellopsis LeConte, 1862

Phellopsis montana Casey, 1907

Phellopsis obcordata (Kirby, 1837)

Phellopsis porcata

Phellopsis robustula Casey, 1907

• Genus Nosoderma Solier, 1841

Nosoderma aequale

Nosoderma diabolicum (LeConte, 1851)

Nosoderma exsculptum

Nosoderma guatemalense

Nosoderma inaequale

Nosoderma plicatum (LeConte, 1859)

Nosoderma sylvaticum

Nosoderma zunilense

• Genus Zopherus Laporte, 1840

Zopherus championi Triplehorn, 1972

Zopherus chilensis

Zopherus concolor LeConte, 1851

Zopherus elegans Horn, 1870

Zopherus gracilis Horn, 1867

Zopherus granicollis Horn, 1885

Zopherus jansoni

Zopherus jourdani

Zopherus laevicollis

Zopherus nervosus

Zopherus nodulosus Solier, 1841

Zopherus opacus Horn, 1867

Zopherus sanctaehelenae (Blaisdell, 1931)

Zopherus tristis LeConte, 1851

Zopherus uteanus (Casey, 1907)

Zopherus xestus Triplehorn, 1972

Cited References

1. "CBP Officers Intercept Live Beetle Worn as Jewelry at Brownsville Port of Entry" (Press release). US Customs and Border Patrol. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2011.