Tritoma

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

Some species consume euagaric mushrooms, staying concealed amidst the gills as they feed. Some feed on mushrooms growing from dead trees, as well as mycorrhizae on living roots. 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.

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

Selected species

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

<small>Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net</small>

References

External links