Ciidae
The minute tree-fungus beetles, family Ciidae, are a sizeable group of beetles which inhabit Polyporales bracket fungi or coarse woody debris. Most numerous in warmer regions, they are nonetheless widespread and a considerable number of species occur as far polewards as Scandinavia for example.
Description
As their name implies, minute tree-fungus beetles are tiny, about long. Their body is short and cylindrical, often convex, sometimes with a smooth coat of fine short hairs, sometimes being covered in long bristly hairs. They are mostly dark brown or blackish. The short antennae consist of 8–10 antennomeres. The pronotum is usually wider than long and often forming a quite prominent helmet-like structure. The elytra do not taper noticeably over most of their length. The legs are short, the tibiae of the forelegs often bear characteristic extensions at the ends.
Ecology
These beetles usually inhabit Polyporaceae or more rarely Corticiaceae bracket fungi. The larvae as well as the adults burrow inside the fungi, often choosing old specimens or old tissue. The whole development, from egg to adult, often takes as little as two months; some are parthenogenetic. A few species are pests of commercial fungi, as in the case of Cis chinensis, which infests dried fruiting-bodies of Ganoderma lucidum.
At least one ciid, Falsocis brasiliensis, is a threatened species. It occurs only in small forest remnants of the Northeast and Southeast Regions of Brazil.
Minute tree-fungus beetles are food for many predatory insects, like rove beetles, checkered beetles and parasitoid wasp larvae.
Abebaeocis Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Acanthocis Miyatake, 1954Alcecis Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Aliocis Sandoval-Gómez & Lopes-Andrade, 2015Amphibolocis Lawrence, 2016Anartioscelos Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Apterocis Perkins, 1900Atlantocis Israelson, 1985Atomocis Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Australocis Lawrence, 2016Bucerocaputis Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Ceracis Mellié, 1849Cis Latreille, 1797 Cisarthron Reitter, 1885Ctenocis Lawrence, 2016Dichodontocis Kawanabe, 1994Dimerapterocis Scott, 1926Diphyllocis Reitter, 1885Ditrichocis Lawrence, 2016Dolichocis Dury, 1919Echinocis Lawrence, 2016Ennearthron Mellié, 1847Euxestocis Miyatake, 1954Falsocis Pic, 1916Ferecis Lopes-Andrade, 2024Glyphidope Lawrence, 2016Grossicis Antunes-Carvalho, Sandoval-Gómez & Lopes-Andrade, 2012Gyraleosomus Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Hadreule Thomson, 1859Hyalocis Kawanabe, 1993Insolitocis Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Lipedanicis Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade, 2025Lipopterocis Miyatake, 1954Malacocis Gorham, 1886Malleecis Lawrence, 2016Neoapterocis Lopes-Andrade, 2007Neoennearthron Miyatake, 1954Nipponapterocis Miyatake, 1954Nipponocis Nobuchi & Wada, 1955Notapterocis Lawrence, 2016Octotemnus Mellié, 1847Orthocis Casey, 1898Paratrichapus Scott, 1926Paraxestocis Miyatake, 1954Phellinocis Lopes-Andrade & Lawrence, 2005Plesiocis Casey, 1898Polynesicis Zimmerman, 1938Porculus Lawrence, 1987Pseudeuxestocis Lawrence, 2016Ropalodontus Mellié, 1847Scolytocis Blair, 1928Strigocis Dury, 1917Sulcacis Dury, 1917Syncosmetus Sharp, 1891Tropicis Scott, 1926Xylographella Miyatake, 1985Xylographus Mellié, 1847