Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Ptiliidae Heer, 1843

Abstract

Diversity in Peru: 2 subfamilies, 2 genera, 2 species. Recognition: Members of Ptiliidae may be recognized by their extremely small size (usually in the 0.5–1.5 mm range), the clubbed antennae whose antennomeres each contain a whorl of long apical setae, and the feather-like hind wings (strap-like membrane with fringe of extremely long hairs). The elytra often incompletely cover the abdomen. Habitat: Ptiliidae occur most often in moist, decaying organic matter (rotten wood, mammal nests, dung, tree holes, seaweed piles, leaf litter) or fungi. Some species are adapted for life in ant or termite nests. Notes: Apparently only one species has been recorded from Peru (from Hall, 2003). These poorly-studied beetles are almost certainly very diverse in Peru. In our survey of the arthropod fauna of phytotelmata Zingiberales plants (Jalinsky et al., 2014), we found ptiliid adults accounting for 47% of the total adult beetle fauna in the floral phytotelmata of Calathea and Heliconia plants. Here we report Acrotrichis as an additional genus: PERU: Madre de Dios Dept., CICRA Field Station, ,50 m W on Tr. 1, 12.569211uS, 70.100261uW, 27 m, 9.VI.2011, ex leaf roll, Heliconia stricta, Jalinksy, Radocy, Wertenberger, PER-11-JJ-007 [1, SEMC].