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
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
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]

References

1. International Commission On Zoological Nomenclature (1994). "Opinion 1754. Histoire abrégée des insectes qui se trouvent aux environs de Paris (Geoffroy, 1762): some generic names conserved (Crustacea, Insecta)". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 51 (1): 58–70.
2. Goodrich, M. A. and C. A. Springer. (1999). The pleasing fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) of Nebraska. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 25 53-71.
3. Robertson, J. A., et al. (2004). A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the pleasing fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae): evolution of colour patterns, gregariousness and mycophagy. Systematic Entomology 29(2) 173–87.
4. Skelly, P. E. Pleasing Fungus Beetles, Pseudischyrus, Tritoma, Megalodacne, Ischyrus spp. (Insecta: Coleoptera: Erotylidae). EENY-091. Entomology and Nematology. Florida Cooperative Extension Service. University of Florida IFAS. 1999.
5. Drilling, K. and K. Dettner. (2010). First insights into the chemical defensive system of the erotylid beetle, Tritoma bipustulata. Chemoecology 20(4), 243-53.
6. "Tritoma Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
7. "Browse Tritoma". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
8. "Tritoma". GBIF. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
9. "Tritoma Genus Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-25.

External links

• Media related to Tritoma at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Tritoma at Wikispecies