Family Anthicidae

Hackston, M (2019) Key to the species of family Anthicidae (Coleoptera)

References

The following were used in the generation of this key:

Lompe A (2015) Käfer Europas, Anthicidae. My translation of this gives the basic
structure of the key. The original can be found at http://www.coleo-
net.de/coleo/texte/anthicidae.htm and linked pages.
Telnov D (2010) Ant-like flower beetles (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) of the UK, Ireland
and Channel Isles, British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 23:99-120

Checklist
From the Checklist of Beetles of the British Isles, 2012 edition, edited by A. G. Duff (available
from www.coleopterist.org.uk/checklist.htm).

Tribe NOTOXINI Sturm, 1826
Genus NOTOXUS Geoffroy, 1762 611
monoceros (Linnaeus, 1761)
Tribe ANTHICINI Latreille, 1819
Genus ANTHICUS Paykull, 1798
angustatus Curtis, 1838
antherinus (Linnaeus, 1761)
bimaculatus (Illiger, 1801)
flavipes (Panzer, 1797)
tristis Schmidt, 1842
Genus CORDICOLLIS Pic, 1894
instabilis (Schmidt, 1842)
Genus CYCLODINUS Mulsant & Rey, 1866
constrictus (Curtis, 1838)
salinus (Crotch, 1867)
Genus MICROHORIA Chevrolat, 1877
terminata (Schmidt, 1842)
Genus OMONADUS Mulsant & Rey, 1866
bifasciatus (Rossi, 1792)
floralis (Linnaeus, 1758)
formicarius (Goeze, 1777)
Genus STRICTICOLLIS Pic, 1894
tobias (Marseul, 1879)

Image Credits

Unless otherwise indicated, the illustrations in this key are reproduced from the Iconographia
Coleopterorum Poloniae, with permission kindly granted by Lech Borowiec.

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
 Key to the British species of family Anthicidae

1 Pronotum projecting forwards over the head in the form of a

horn. Pale brown species with a varying amount of black
(elytra sometimes almost entirely black - leaving just the tips
pale). Length 3.5-5.2 mm. .....................................................
.......... Notoxus monoceros
Local and widespread in England, Wales and Scotland in open sandy habitats.
Tribe Notoxini

Pronotum not as above. Tribe Anthicini. ................................................................2

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
2 Depressions on each side, towards the rear of the
pronotum, deep and at least partly obscured by long whitish
hair. Length 2.3-4.2 mm. ......................................................
.......... Microhoria terminata
Colouration variable. The elytra are most often dark brown each with a pale
yellow spot towards the base and tip (more rarely the one near the tip or both
are missing). Head and pronotum dark brown to red with the head usually
darker. Antennae pale becoming darker towards the tip. Recorded as new to
Britain from specimens collected from a lowland heath in north Shropshire (Uff,
Jones & Telnov, 2018, The Coleopterist 27:3 p119-122)

Depressions at the side of the pronotum absent or if present they are neither deep
nor obscured by long whitish hair. ..........................................................................3

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
3 Pronotum long and broadening towards the front,
strongly narrowing to the rear with two small humps
towards the base near the middle. ...........................
........... Genus Cyclodinus

Pronotum without two small humps towards the base. .......................................4

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
4 Front tibiae with a long, pointed, finger-like tooth on the
outer edge which is as long as the first segment of the
tarsi. Length 3-4 mm. .....................................................
.......... Anthicus bimaculatus
Southern England northwards to Lancashire; very rare on dunes

Front tibiae without a long tooth on the outer edge. ...........................................5

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
5 Pronotum much longer than wide, with the sides deeply
constricted before the base. ...........................................
.......... Stricticollis tobias
Sandy shores and waste habitats in urban areas. England and Wales.

Pronotum not longer than wide, upside-down trapezoid and constricted near the
base or tapering towards the rear in a straight line. .............................................6

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
6 Head and pronotum with clear microscopic
sculpture in between the punctures. .....................
.......... Genus Omonadus

Head and pronotum smooth in between the punctures, any microscopic sculpture
scarcely visible. ......................................................................................................7

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
7 Dorsal surface of the head with a middle line between the eyes which is smooth,
lacking punctures. ....................................................................................................
.......... Genus Anthicus

Dorsal surface of the head with the punctures more or less uniform between the
eyes. .......................................................................................................................8

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
8 Eyes comparatively larger, bulging and more clearly
interrupting the outline of the head, viewed from above.
Pronotum constricted towards the base and then
broadening to the hind angles. Lateral parts of the
mesosternum (underneath, between the front and middle
legs) broadly rounded separating the mesepisterna from
the cavities into which the middle legs are inserted.
Length 3.0-4.3 mm. ...........................................................
.......... Cordicollis instabilis
Salt marshes and sandy habitats on the coast. Southern England and south
Wales.

Eyes smaller not greatly interrupting the outline of the

head, viewed from above. Pronotum broadest near the
front and then tapering evenly to the hind angles. Lateral
parts of the mesosternum narrow, not separating the
mesepisterna from the cavities into which the middle legs
are inserted. Length 2.0-3.65 mm. ....................................
.......... Genus Anthicus

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
 Genus Anthicus

1 Front tibiae with a long, pointed, finger-like tooth on the

outer edge which is as long as the first segment of the
tarsi. Elytra usually with a V-shaped marking -
sometimes reduced to two separate rounded black
marks. Length 3-4 mm. .................................................
.......... Anthicus bimaculatus
Southern England northwards to Lancashire; very rare on dunes

Front tibiae without a long tooth on the outer edge. ...........................................2

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
2 Punctures of the head and pronotum very coarse and
dense, some becoming merged to form parallel
furrows (rugose) at least next to the eyes and on the
edge of the vertex. Temples about as long as the long
diameter of an eye. Pronotum noticeably roundly
projecting at the front and roundly narrowing to the
base. Elytra with quite coarse and easily visible
punctures; hair short and greyish-white, almost lying
on the surface. The end of the elytra in males without
peculiarities in males. Body black or blackish-brown
with the elytra usually rather paler. Antennae and legs
uniformly yellowish-red. Length 2.0-2.5 mm. ................
.......... Anthicus flavipes
Very local species in the Lake District, Scotland and Ireland. In dry sandy
to finely gravelly habitats on the banks of rivers and lakes.

Punctures of the head and pronotum fine or ± coarse but if coarse then the
punctures do not run into one another, remaining individual even alongside the
eyes and at the edge of the vertex. ........................................................................3

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
4 Head with a broad shining longitudinal strip between the eyes where the
punctures become very sparse or missing altogether. Top of the pronotum brown
to dark brown. Length 2.4-2.7 mm.
.......... Anthicus angustatus
Sandy shores and salt marshes, in or on bare sand or areas sparse vegetation. Uncommon but widespread
through England

Top of the head with the punctures more or less even in their density, lacking a
clear central glossy strip. ........................................................................................5

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
5 Length 3.0-3.5 mm. Head and pronotum with very dense
and even punctures with the spaces between them much
less than their diameter. Pronotum strongly convex,
almost as wide as the head, with yellow hairs lying on the
surface. Black with dark antennae and legs, although the
legs are sometimes reddish; the ends of the tibiae and the
tarsi are usually paler. Elytra with a large round reddish
patch behind the shoulders and a transverse band in the
rear third, which usually doesn’t reach the sides.
Specimens turn up with different markings, but these are
rare. ....................................................................................
.......... Anthicus antherinus
Quite common and widespread. Salt marshes, meadows, woodland edges,
urban habitats and hedgerows.

Length 2.6 mm. Head and pronotum with finer, much sparser punctures with the
spaces between them about as wide as their diameter; the spaces between the
punctures appear dull because of a microscopic sculpture. Pronotum less
bulbous at the front with longer, brownish-yellow hair lying on the surface. Body
black with the antennae, tibiae and tarsi brownish yellow. Elytra each with two
dark red or brownish red patches, one rounded one behind the shoulders and a
rather oblique one in the rear third. These patches do not reach the suture.
Almost completely black specimens occur and in these the places where the
markings would be can be made out if the elytra are lifted and held to the light.
.......... Anthicus tristis
On sandy shores and sand dunes. South coast of England from Cornwall to Hampshire.

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
 Genus Cyclodinus

1 Head (measured across just behind the eyes) slightly broader

than pronotum, rounded at the base from eye to eye with the
temples short. First segment of the antennae symmetrical
when viewed side on. Colour variable, from reddish brown to
almost black, often with indistinct paler spots near the base
and middle. ...............................................................................
........... Cyclodinus constrictus
Local in sandy habitats in southern England and Ireland.

Head not broader than pronotum (measured just behind the

eyes); temples parallel-sided for a short distance behind eyes
so the base of the head appears slightly elongated. First
segment of the antennae asymmetrical when viewed side on.
Colour dark brown to almost black. ............................................
.......... Cyclodinus salinus
Salt marshes along the south and south-east coasts of England.

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
 Genus Omonadus
1 Long diameter of the eye about as long as the temples. Head broad, quadratic or
oval with protruding eyes, broader than the pronotum. Sides of the pronotum
evenly narrowing, not constricted before the base. Temples almost parallel-sided,
broadly truncate behind. The punctures over the whole upper surface are fine and
uniform; hair fine and short, scarcely visible. Head without a longitudinal strip
between the eyes that lacks punctures. .................................................................2

Eyes smaller with their long diameter much shorter than the
temples. Head at most as wide as the pronotum. Eyes
sometimes strongly, sometimes less convex. Head and
pronotum extremely finely and sparsely punctured, smooth;
the punctures are only rather coarser near the base of the
pronotum. Upper surface with very sparse, short, erect hair
and with sparse and fine, scarcely discernible hair lying on
the surface. Body black with the elytra having two yellowish-
red transverse bands or patches, one behind the base (the
base remains broadly black) and one a little before the rear
third. Tibiae, tarsi and antennae brownish yellow. Length
2.8-3.0 mm. ............................................................................
.......... Omonadus bifasciatus

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas
2 Pronotum with two small tubercles towards the front.
Head broad and short, broader than the pronotum with
the temples parallel and the vertex truncate. The
punctures are finer. Antennae thicker and longer. Shining
dark brown or blackish. The front third of the elytra, the
pronotum, the tibiae and tarsi along with the base of the
antennae pale brown to reddish brown. Underneath the
beetle the mesosternum is more extended at the sides
and often bears a fringe of hairs. Length 3.0-3.5 mm. ...
.......... Omonadus floralis

Pronotum without tubercles towards the front, round.

Head narrower, not broader than the pronotum with the
temples shorter and more rounded; vertex more narrowly
truncate. Punctures rather coarser. Antennae shorter and
thinner. Colouration as above, but usually the pronotum is
only paler towards the base. Mesosternum less extended
and lacking a fringe of hairs; the mesepisterna are broader
Length 3.0-3.3 mm. .............................................................
........... Omonadus formicarius

© Mike Hackston (2019), translated and adapted from Lompe (2015),

Käfer Europas