CERASOMMATIDIIDAE, BRETHES, 1925

Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Tomaszewska, Wioletta, Szawaryn, Karol, Robertson, James, Seidel, Matthias, Ślipiński, Adam & Fikáček, Martin, 2023, The resurrection of Cerasommatidiidae, an enigmatic group of coccinelloid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea) based on molecular and morphological evidence, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 197 (4), pp. 1078-1115 : 1113

BIOLOGY OF CERASOMMATIDIIDAE

Information about the biology of this group of beetles is scarce, but some data can be gleaned from the habitats and methods by which they were collected. Specimens of Yamuy and MahaƲelo species were mostly collected by sifting leaf litter. One specimen was collected directly from a slime mould fruiting body; another one from a flight intercept trap. These observations can indicate that with high probability, the food source of Cerasommatidiidae is various species of slime moulds or other fungi-like organisms. Cerasommatidiidae are also active fliers. The coarsely facetted eyes of all taxa indicate that they probably have a nocturnal lifestyle. Yamuy constratus was collected in rainforest habitat, Y. marginatus in sparse montane forest and MahaƲelo madagasus in dry spiny forest biotope at low elevation. That indicates that these beetles inhabit different types of forest habitat, both rainforests ( Puerto Rico), as well as dry spiny forest ( Madagascar), at a variety of elevations ranging from lowland (110 m) to montane areas (1350 m). Although incomplete, this information can help locate additional habitats and new taxa of Cerasommatidiidae in the future.