Ptiliidae Specimen 2
Title
Ptiliidae Specimen 2
Publisher
Lewis and Clark College
Taxonomic Order
Coleoptera
Taxonomic Family
Ptiliidae
Taxonomic Name
Genus - Ptiliola
Identified by
Alex Kwong & Kyle Sanborn
Collected by
Alex Kwong & Kyle Sanborn
Collection Date
November 17, 2016
Locality
Lewis & Clark College Campus
Collection Location
Fir Acres Parking Lot Slope
County
Multnomah
Collection Method
Berlese Funnel
Substrate
Leaf Litter
About this specimen
Featherwing beetles are known to be one of the smallest beetles in the world, with most individuals being .3-.4 mm in length and growing no larger than 1.5 mm. There are around 600 known species of Ptiliidae within 80 genera, with 120 of these species residing in North America. Members of Ptiliidae derive their common name from the fact that their wings are frayed into hair-like filaments. When up close, these wings look like the feathers of birds or tufts of fur, and these small beetles extend their wings to catch the wind and travel across far distances.
Thanks to the beetle’s mobility, Ptiliidae are widespread throughout the world and can be found in almost any damp habitat full of decomposing matter like rotten wood and forest litter, eating the fungi that grow in these kinds of environments. Consequently, our study will encompass the forests around Lewis & Clark College campus, where soil and logs provide the perfect damp environment for Ptiliidae and their food source. Being fungivores, not only do these beetle act as decomposers that help recycle nutrients back into the soil, but it could also be hypothesized that these beetles help halt the growth of fungi both detrimental and beneficial to plants and animals. By doing so, they would keep the forest floor clear for new plants to grow.
Distinguishing features among feather-winged beetles that have aided in our identification include a pair of clubbed antennae, the presence of long haired segments and hind wings, as well as the oval shape of its considerably small body. Due to their size and how easily they can be overlooked, the Ptiliidae Family is one of the least known taxa of Coleoptera. There are many more species within Ptiliidae that have yet to be identified than those that have been, and further identification past Family via literature may be challenging as well as inaccurate.
Thanks to the beetle’s mobility, Ptiliidae are widespread throughout the world and can be found in almost any damp habitat full of decomposing matter like rotten wood and forest litter, eating the fungi that grow in these kinds of environments. Consequently, our study will encompass the forests around Lewis & Clark College campus, where soil and logs provide the perfect damp environment for Ptiliidae and their food source. Being fungivores, not only do these beetle act as decomposers that help recycle nutrients back into the soil, but it could also be hypothesized that these beetles help halt the growth of fungi both detrimental and beneficial to plants and animals. By doing so, they would keep the forest floor clear for new plants to grow.
Distinguishing features among feather-winged beetles that have aided in our identification include a pair of clubbed antennae, the presence of long haired segments and hind wings, as well as the oval shape of its considerably small body. Due to their size and how easily they can be overlooked, the Ptiliidae Family is one of the least known taxa of Coleoptera. There are many more species within Ptiliidae that have yet to be identified than those that have been, and further identification past Family via literature may be challenging as well as inaccurate.
Files
Citation
“Ptiliidae Specimen 2,” Bio 212, accessed April 29, 2024, https://watzekdi.net/bio212/items/show/10.