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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Scaphidiidae

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Holometabola > Coleoptera (beetles) > Polyphaga > Superfamily: Staphylinoidea

Adults are small beetles (size range 0.8 - 7.0 mm) that feed on spores and hyphae of fungi, particularly mushrooms and moulds in and on decaying wood. There are about six genera and 10 species known from southern Africa.