Subfamily Negastriinae

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Introduction

The Negastriinae are one of the smallest elaterid subfamilies found in Australia, being represented by a single genus and two described species (Calder 1998). The world fauna comprises about 26 genera and 300 species. Stibick (1971) provided a generic overview of the Negastriinae of the world and revised the eastern United States fauna (Stibick 1990); Leseigneur (1970) revised the European fauna.

Macleay (1872, 1888) decribed both Australian species, incorrectly assigning them to the hypnoidinine genus Cryptohypnus Eschscholtz (= Hypolithus Eschscholtz). Calder (1996) erected a new genus Rivulicola to accommodate the two species since they are clearly not congeneric with the Palaearctic type species of Hypolithus or even Hypnoidinae. Stibick (1976) adequately demonstrated the differences between the Negastriinae and Hypnoidinae.

Negastriines are relatively small, ranging in length from 3 to 5 mm. They are attractive species covered in black, golden and silver coloured scales that form variegated patterns on the elytra. The aedeagus is distinctive with the parameres or lateral lobes being entirely fused to form a cylinder which completely surrounds the median lobe.

The species are riparian, living mostly on and in sand banks of rivers, creeks and streams. In some areas they are extremely abundant. Although the adults are common in such a restricted habitat, the larvae have never been associated definitely with an adult and consequently the biology and larval stages of the Australian species are still not known.

General References

Calder, A.A. 1996. Click Beetles. Genera of Australian Elateridae (Coleoptera). Monographs on Invertebrate Taxonomy 2: i-x 1-401

Calder, A.A. 1998. Coleoptera: Elateroidea. In Wells, A. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 29.6. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia. xiii 248 pp.

Leseigneur, L. 1970. Revision des Zorochrus européens (Col. Elateridae). Bulletin Mensuel de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon 38(1): 19-44

Macleay, W.J. 1872. Notes on a collection of insects from Gayndah. Second paper. Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South Wales 2(4): 239-318

Macleay, W.J. 1888. The insects of the vicinity of King's Sound, N.W. Australia. Part III.–The Sternoxes, Family Buprestidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 3(3): 1227-1246 [Date published Dec. 7, 1888]

Stibick, J.N.L. 1971. The generic classification of the Negastriinae (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Pacific Insects 13(2): 371-390 [Date published Aug. 10, 1971]

Stibick, J.N.L. 1976. A revision of the Hypnoidinae of the world (Col. Elateridae). Part I. Introduction, phylogeny, biogeography. The Hypnoidinae of North and South America. EOS. Revista Española de Entomología 51: 143-223

Stibick, J.N.L. 1990. North American Negastriinae (Coleoptera, Elateridae): The Negastriinae of the eastern United States and adjacent Canada. Insecta Mundi 4: 99-131 [Date published Mar. – Dec. 1990]

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