Placonotus is a genus of beetles in the family Laemophloeidae. There are 40 currently recognized species, known from all continents except Antarctica. Placonotus species are small (~2mm), elongate, flattened beetles, characterized by long filiform antennae, presence of a frontoclypeal suture, open anterior coxal cavities, and broadly rounded intercoxal process of abdominal ventrite III. Males have the 8th abdominal segment modified to form claspers used during mating.[1] Adults and larvae are found under dead bark, where they feed on fungi. Currently recognized species are:
The genus has been treated taxonomically for several geographical regions: the New World;[1] Africa;[2] Europe;[3] and India.[4] The Asian, Pacific, and Australian faunas have not been worked and there are probably many unassigned and undescribed species.
References
^ abThomas, M.C. 1984. A revision of the New World species of Placonotus Macleay (Coleoptera: Cucujidae: Laemophloeinae). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods 3:vii + 28pp.
^Lefkovitch, L.P. 1962. A revision of African Laemophloeinae (Coleoptera: Cucujidae). Bulletin British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 12:167-245.
^Lefkovitch, L.P. 1959. A revision of European Laemophloeinae (Coleoptera: Cucujidae). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 111:95-118.
^Mukhopadhyay, P., and T. Sen Gupta. 1977. Studies on Placonotus (Coleoptera: Cucujidae: Laemophloeinae) from India. Oriental Insects 11: 555-566.
