Alexiidae
Alexiidae is a family of beetles. It contains a single genus, Sphaerosoma, formerly included within the family Cerylonidae, with around 50 species which are native to the western Palearctic. Species of Sphaerosoma are very small, around 1 to 2 mm in length rounded beetles with clubbed antennae. They are fungivores, having been observed feeding on mushrooms, and have also been found in leaf litter and on decaying bark.
Taxonomy
There has been considerable confusion regarding the type species and authorship of the genus; most older sources consider the author and species to be Sphaerosoma quercus Samouelle, 1819. That name is now considered to be a nomen nudum, and the valid name for Samouelle's species is Sphaerosoma piliferum. The type species is now considered to be Sphaerosoma quercus Stephens, 1832, which is itself a junior synonym of Sphaerosoma pilosum. Alexiidae has been recovered as part of the superfamily Coccinelloidea as the sister group of Latridiidae.
Species
Sphaerosoma algiricum Sphaerosoma alutaceum Sphaerosoma antennarium Apfelbeck, 1909Sphaerosoma apuanum Reitter, 1909Sphaerosoma bicome Peyerimhoff de Fontenelle|Peyerimhoff], 1917Sphaerosoma bosnicum Sphaerosoma carniolicum Apfelbeck, 1915Sphaerosoma carpathicum Sphaerosoma circassicum Sphaerosoma clamboides Sphaerosoma compressum Sphaerosoma corcyreum Sphaerosoma csikii Apfelbeck, 1915Sphaerosoma diversepunctatum Roubal, 1932Sphaerosoma fiorii Ganglbauer, 1899Sphaerosoma globosum Sphaerosoma hemisphaericum Ganglbauer, 1899Sphaerosoma hispanicum Obenberger, 1917Sphaerosoma laevicolle Sphaerosoma latitarse Apfelbeck, 1915Sphaerosoma lederi Sphaerosoma leonhardi Apfelbeck, 1915Sphaerosoma libani Sahlberg, 1913Sphaerosoma maritimum Sphaerosoma merditanum Apfelbeck, 1915Sphaerosoma meridionale Sphaerosoma nevadense Sphaerosoma normandi Peyerimhoff, 1917Sphaerosoma obscuricorne Obenberger, 1917Sphaerosoma obsoletum Sphaerosoma paganetti Obenberger, 1913Sphaerosoma piliferum Sphaerosoma pilosellum Sphaerosoma pilosissimum Sphaerosoma pilosum Sphaerosoma pubescens Sphaerosoma punctatum Sphaerosoma puncticolle Sphaerosoma purkynei Obenberger, 1917Sphaerosoma rambouseki Apfelbeck, 1916Sphaerosoma reitteri Sphaerosoma rotundatum Obenberger, 1913Sphaerosoma scymnoides Sphaerosoma seidlitzi Sphaerosoma shardaghense Apfelbeck, 1915Sphaerosoma solarii Reitter, 1904Sphaerosoma sparsum Reitter, 1909Sphaerosoma sturanyi Apfelbeck, 1909Sphaerosoma subglabrum Peyerimhoff, 1917Sphaerosoma sublaeve Sphaerosoma tingitanum Peyerimhoff, 1917Sphaerosoma vallambrosae Sphaerosoma winneguthi Apfelbeck, 1915