last updated 8.July.2007 |
 
Archostemata Archostemata is an ancient lineage of beetles, strikingly similar in morphology to the first beetles that appear in the fossil record around 250 million years ago. Today the group contains a small number of uncommonly-encountered species. Priamca beetles from western North America, pictured below, are one of the easier Archostematans to find. Males of this elongate species are attracted to bleach and can be baited with fresh laundry. Micromalthus debilis, a small wood-boring beetle found in eastern North America, has one of the most bizarre life cycles of any animal, involving obligate cannibalism and virgin birth. |
