The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family of beetles.
They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and sap. Sap beetles coexist with fungi species and live in habitats of coniferous trees. They are found all across Europe and Siberia and are the biggest nutudulid species known in those areas.[1] There are a few pest species. An example of a pest species is the strawberry sap beetle that infest crops in Brazil between the months of August and February.[2]
The oldest unambiguous fossils of the family date to the Early Cretaceous, belonging to the genus Crepuraea from the Aptian aged Zaza Formation of Russia.[3]
The family includes these genera:
The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family of beetles.
They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and sap. Sap beetles coexist with fungi species and live in habitats of coniferous trees. They are found all across Europe and Siberia and are the biggest nutudulid species known in those areas. There are a few pest species. An example of a pest species is the strawberry sap beetle that infest crops in Brazil between the months of August and February.
the picnic beetle, Glischrochilus quadrisignatus the dusky sap beetle, Carpophilus lugubris the strawberry sap beetle, Stelidota geminata the small hive beetle, Aethina tumidaThe oldest unambiguous fossils of the family date to the Early Cretaceous, belonging to the genus Crepuraea from the Aptian aged Zaza Formation of Russia.
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