MYCETOPHAGIDAE, Leach, 1815

Ferro, Michael L., Nguyen, Nhu H., Tishechkin, Alexey, Park, Jong-Seok, Bayless, Victoria & Carlton, Christopher E., 2013, Coleoptera Collected from Rotting Fishhook Barrel Cacti (Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton and Rose), with a Review of Nearctic Coleoptera Associated with Succulent Necrosis, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (4), pp. 419-443 : 429

MYCETOPHAGIDAE

Litargus balteatus LeConte ( Fig. 14 )

Comments. Litargus Erichson contains six species in the Nearctic region ( Parsons 1975).

Range. Widespread throughout the USA and Canada ( Young 2002); Mexico and Central America ( Blackwelder 1957).

Habitat. Common in decomposing vegetable matter ( Fall 1901); in a fungus (Fall and Cockerell 1907); adults collected from Meripilus giganteus Karst. and Perenniporia fraxinea (Bull.) Ryvarden (as Perreniporia fraxinea ), Litargus spp. were commonly found in the summer months on dry sporocarps of Agaricales in Arkansas ( Leschen 1990); fungus growing on a dead holly log, Sherwood Forest, England (Tomlin and Joy 1908, as Litargus coloratus ); feeding on Ganoderma tsugae Murrill (Ganodermataceae) (as Polyporus tsugae ) (Weiss and West 1921).

Biology. Litargus balteatus is a cosmopolitan, synanthropic, stored product pest, commonly found in association with moldy produce or grains ( Hinton 1945b; Bousquet 1990; Lawrence and Leschen 2010). Non-human-associated biology is poorly known, except for habitat associations above.

Additional References. Böving and Craighead 1930 (figure of immature, as Alitargus balteatus ); Fall 1901; Griffith 1900; Henshaw 1885; Horn 1894; LeConte 1858a; Leng 1920; Moore 1937; Parsons 1975 (key to Nearctic species); Sharp 1905c; Woodworth 1913.

Figures

Figs. 13–19. Habitus images of Coleoptera in decayed barrel cacti. 13) Dactylosternum cacti; 14) Litargus balteatus; 15) Carpophilus discoideus; 16) Carpophilus lugubris; 17) Aleochara (Maseochara) depressa; 18) Aleochara (Maseochara) valida; 19) Diestota sp.