Alexiidae is a family of . 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.[Ślipinśki, Adam and Tomaszewska, Wioletta. "10.30. Alexiidae Imhoff, 1856". Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim), edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 432-434.]
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 (Müller, 1821). The type species is now considered to be
Sphaerosoma quercus Stephens, 1832, which is itself a junior synonym of
Sphaerosoma pilosum (Panzer, 1793).
Alexiidae has been recovered as part of the superfamily
Coccinelloidea as the sister group of
Latridiidae.
Species
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Sphaerosoma algiricum (Reitter, 1889)
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Sphaerosoma alutaceum (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma antennarium Apfelbeck, 1909
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Sphaerosoma apuanum Reitter, 1909
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Sphaerosoma bicome Peyerimhoff, 1917
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Sphaerosoma bosnicum (Reitter, 1885)
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Sphaerosoma carniolicum Apfelbeck, 1915
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Sphaerosoma carpathicum (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma circassicum (Reitter, 1888)
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Sphaerosoma clamboides (Reitter, 1888)
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Sphaerosoma compressum (Reitter, 1901)
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Sphaerosoma corcyreum (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma csikii Apfelbeck, 1915
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Sphaerosoma diversepunctatum Roubal, 1932
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Sphaerosoma fiorii Ganglbauer, 1899
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Sphaerosoma globosum (Sturm, 1807)
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Sphaerosoma hemisphaericum Ganglbauer, 1899
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Sphaerosoma hispanicum Obenberger, 1917
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Sphaerosoma laevicolle (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma latitarse Apfelbeck, 1915
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Sphaerosoma lederi (Reitter, 1888)
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Sphaerosoma leonhardi Apfelbeck, 1915
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Sphaerosoma libani Sahlberg, 1913
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Sphaerosoma maritimum (Reitter, 1904)
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Sphaerosoma merditanum Apfelbeck, 1915
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Sphaerosoma meridionale (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma nevadense (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma normandi Peyerimhoff, 1917
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Sphaerosoma obscuricorne Obenberger, 1917
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Sphaerosoma obsoletum (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma paganetti Obenberger, 1913
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Sphaerosoma piliferum (Müller, 1821)
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Sphaerosoma pilosellum (Reitter, 1877)
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Sphaerosoma pilosissimum (Frivaldszky, 1881)
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Sphaerosoma pilosum (Panzer, 1793)
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Sphaerosoma pubescens (Frivaldszky, 1881)
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Sphaerosoma punctatum (Reitter, 1878)
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Sphaerosoma puncticolle (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma purkynei Obenberger, 1917
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Sphaerosoma rambouseki Apfelbeck, 1916
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Sphaerosoma reitteri (Ormay, 1888)
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Sphaerosoma rotundatum Obenberger, 1913
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Sphaerosoma scymnoides (Reitter, 1885)
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Sphaerosoma seidlitzi (Reitter, 1889)
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Sphaerosoma shardaghense Apfelbeck, 1915
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Sphaerosoma solarii Reitter, 1904
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Sphaerosoma sparsum Reitter, 1909
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Sphaerosoma sturanyi Apfelbeck, 1909
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Sphaerosoma subglabrum Peyerimhoff, 1917
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Sphaerosoma sublaeve (Reitter, 1883)
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Sphaerosoma tingitanum Peyerimhoff, 1917
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Sphaerosoma vallambrosae (Reitter, 1885)
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Sphaerosoma winneguthi Apfelbeck, 1915
External links
