Micromalthidae is an ancient family of small beetles belonging to the suborder Archostemata. The only known living representative is the telephone-pole beetle, Micromalthus debilis. A few extinct species have been described,[3] the oldest being the Late Permian Archaeomalthus synoriacos.[1] It is one of the oldest families of beetles still existing today.[3]
| Micromalthidae Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| "Ghost adult" stage of Micromalthus debilis | |
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| Larval stage of Micromalthus debilis | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Archostemata |
| Family: | Micromalthidae Barber, 1913 |
| Genera | |
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Micromalthus debilis is remarkable for its paedogenetic reproductive strategy which is almost unique in the animal kingdom, with the partial exception of Loricifera,[4] and that could have already evolved in prehistoric Micromalthidae.[2][1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Yan, Evgeny Viktorovich; Beutel, Rolf Georg; Lawrence, John Francis; Yavorskaya, Margarita Igorevna; Hörnschemeyer, Thomas; Pohl, Hans; Vassilenko, Dmitry Vladimirovich; Bashkuev, Alexey Semenovich; Ponomarenko, Alexander Georgievich (2020). "Archaeomalthus -(Coleoptera, Archostemata) a 'ghost adult' of Micromalthidae from Upper Permian deposits of Siberia?". Historical Biology. 32 (8): 1019–1027. Bibcode:2020HBio...32.1019Y. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1561672.1019-1027&rft.date=2020&rft_id=info:doi/10.1080/08912963.2018.1561672&rft_id=info:bibcode/2020HBio...32.1019Y&rft.aulast=Yan&rft.aufirst=Evgeny Viktorovich&rft.au=Beutel, Rolf Georg&rft.au=Lawrence, John Francis&rft.au=Yavorskaya, Margarita Igorevna&rft.au=Hörnschemeyer, Thomas&rft.au=Pohl, Hans&rft.au=Vassilenko, Dmitry Vladimirovich&rft.au=Bashkuev, Alexey Semenovich&rft.au=Ponomarenko, Alexander Georgievich&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Micromalthidae" class="Z3988">
- ^ a b Kirejtshuk, Alexander G.; Azar, Dany (2008). "New taxa of beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) from Lebanese amber with evolutionary and systematic comments" (PDF). Alavesia. 2: 15-46. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Tihelka, Erik; Huang, Diying; Cai, Chenyang (2020). "A new genus and species of Micromalthidae from Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Archostemata)". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 111 (1): 39–46. Bibcode:2020EESTR.111...39T. doi:10.1017/S1755691019500185.39-46&rft.date=2020&rft_id=info:doi/10.1017/S1755691019500185&rft_id=info:bibcode/2020EESTR.111...39T&rft.aulast=Tihelka&rft.aufirst=Erik&rft.au=Huang, Diying&rft.au=Cai, Chenyang&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Micromalthidae" class="Z3988">
- ^ Normark, Benjamin B. (2013). "Micromalthus debilis". Current Biology. 23 (10): R430 – R431. Bibcode:2013CBio...23.R430N. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.045. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 23701680.R430 - R431&rft.date=2013&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.045&rft.issn=0960-9822&rft_id=info:pmid/23701680&rft_id=info:bibcode/2013CBio...23.R430N&rft.aulast=Normark&rft.aufirst=Benjamin B.&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cub.2013.02.045&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Micromalthidae" class="Z3988">