Blaine's Guide to the Principal Family Groups of Coleoptera

[bmathison1972]

While we already have a thread for Beetles (Coleoptera), I have always wanted to present this, a practical guide to the principal family groups of Coleoptera. The focus is to highlight the variety in beetle families/groups offered as figures, and the companies that make them!
For simplicity, I am using the classification in American Beetles (2001) although I am aware some changes at the family/superfamily level have taken place.

Enjoy!

Suborder: Adephaga

Family: Carabidae (tiger and ground beetles).
This group is not commonly represented but there are a few gems out there

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Cicindela japonica (Kaiyodo)
2. Damaster blaptoides (Kaiyodo)
3. Carabus auratus (Bullyland)
4. Mormolyce sp. (unknown mfr.)



Family: Dystiscidae (predaceous water beetles).

Left to right:
1. Cybister japonicas (Kaiyodo)
2. Dystiscus marginalis (Funrise Toys)
3. Dytiscidae, gen. sp. (unknown mfr for Disney's A Bug's Life)



Suborder: Polyphaga

Superfamily: Hydrophiloidea

Family: Hydrophilidae (water scavenger beetles)

This figure from an unknown mfr is a tentative ID as a hydrophilid larva, possibly Berosus sp. (cannot think of what else it can be):



Family: Histeridae (clown beetles)

Left to right:
1. Histeridae, gen. sp. (unknown mfr.)
2. Hister quadrimaculatus (XX)



Superfamily: Staphylinoidea

Family: Silphidae (carrion beetles)

1. Nicrophorus sp. (Play Visions)



Family: Staphylinidae (rove beetles)

All three figures are from unknown mfrs; the one on the far left resembles Oxyporus while the one on the far right looks like a member of Aleocharinae.



Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea
This is by far the most commonly-made group of beetles, so selecting a few good examples was not an easy task.

Family: Lucanidae (stag beetles)

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Chiasognathus granti (Sega)
2. Cyclommatus elephus (Kabaya)
3. Mesotopus tarandus (Sega)
4. Dorcus hopei (F-toys)
5. Platycerus acuticollis (Kaiyodo)
6. Lucanus maculifemoratus (Yujin)



Family: Scarabaeidae (dung, scarab, rhinoceros beetles; chafers)
Here I tried to select one from each major subfamily.

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. APHODIINAE: Aphodius fimetarius (XX)
2. DYNASTINAE: Dynastes hercules (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
3. SCARABAEINAE: Scarabaeus typhon (Kaiyodo)
4. MELOLONTHINAE: Melolontha melolontha (Bullyland)
5. RUTELINAE: Anoplognathus punctulatus (Yowies)
6. CETONIINAE: Goliathus goliathus (Furuta)



Superfamily: Buprestoidea

Family: Buprestidae (metallic wood-boring, jewel beetles)
For a family of flashy beetles, not quite as well-represented as one might think!

Left to right:
1. Chrysochroa fulgidissima (Yujin)
2. Temognatha murrayi (Yowies)
3. Anthaxia nitidula (XX)



Superfamily: Elateroidea
Contains my favorite family, the click beetles (Elateridae) , which isn't well-represented...

Left to right:
1. Family: Elateridae (click beetles): Ampedus sp. (Funrise Toys)
2. Family: Lampyridae (fireflies): Luciola cruciate (Kaiyodo)
3. Family: Cantharidae (soldier beetles): Podabrus tomentosus (XX)



Superfamily: Cleroidea

Family: Cleridae (checkered beetles)

Left to right:
1. Cantharidae, gen. sp. (unknown mfr—sold specifically as a soldier beetle) EDIT 3/1/2017: this is actually a cantharid beetle, or so it was marketed as (I had the common name mis-remembered)
2. Chariessa elegans (unknown mfr—XX knock-off)



Superfamily: Cucujoidea

Family: Coccinellidae (lady beetles)
Very common among generic toy bugs, but becoming common among major companies as well!

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Coccinella novemnotata (XX)
2. Coccinella hasegawai (Kaiyodo)
3. Anatis sp. (Great Explorations)
4. Coccinella transversalis (Yowies)
5. Harmonia axyridis (Kaiyodo)
6. Olla v-nigrum (Kitan Club)



Misc. Cucujoidea. Left to right:

1. Family: Erotylidae (pleasing fungus beetles): Erotylidae, gen. sp. (Play Visions)
2. Family: Nitidulidae (sap beetles): Glichrocheilus japonicas (Kaiyodo)



Superfamily: Tenebrionidae

Family: Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles)

1. Life cycle of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Insect Lore)



Miscellaneous Tenebrionoidea:

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Family: Zopheridae (ironclad beetles): Zopherus haldemanni (XX)
2. Family: Mordellidae (tumbling flower beetles): Mordellidae, gen. sp. (Imperial Toys)
3. Family: Ripiphoridae (wedge-shaped beetles): Ripiphoridae, gen. sp. (Imperial Toys)
4. Family: Meloidae (blister beetles): Cissites cephalotes (Kaiyodo)
5. Family: Meloidae: Meloidae, gen. sp. (unknown mfr.)
6. Family: Meloidae: Meloe sp. (unknown mfr.)



Superfamily: Chrysomeloidea

Family: Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles)

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Chrysomelidae, gen. sp. (unknown mfr)
2. Omaspides erichsoni (unknown mfr)
3. Agenysa connectens (unknown mfr.)



Family: Cerambycidae (long-horned beetles)
Another large, popular family that is not as well-represented as one might think.

Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Rosalia batesi (Yujin)
2. Cerambyx sp., cf. cerdo (AAA)
3. Macrodontes cervicornis (Kabaya)
4. Rosenbergia straussi (Play Visions)
5. Phosphorus jansoni (XX)



Superfamily: Curculionoidea

Family: Attelabidae (leaf-rolling weevils)

Left to right:
1. Trachylephorus giraffe (unknown mfr.)
2. Attelabidae, gen. sp. (unknown mfr.)



Family: Curculionidae (weevils, snout and bark-and-ambrosia beetles)
For one of the largest families, not well represented (at least by major companies).

Left to right:
1. Eupholus sp. (Play Visions)
2. Lixus sp. (Funrise Toys)
3. Hyposiplaus gigas (Yujin)

[stargatedalek]

Family: Haliplidae (crawling water beetles)

This figure from an unknown mfr is a tentative ID as a haliplid larva, possibly Peltodytes sp. (cannot think of what else it can be):

Thanks so much, I've been forgetting to ask for an ID on this thing for years! Unfortunately no clue on manufacturer here either.

*edit* My initial ID was a fairy shrimp largely due to the colour and association with better known triop shrimp, but I prefer your ID by far.

[brontodocus]

Awesome, Blaine! Reminds me of your old insectasynthetica website.

[bmathison1972]

Family: Haliplidae (crawling water beetles)

This figure from an unknown mfr is a tentative ID as a haliplid larva, possibly Peltodytes sp. (cannot think of what else it can be):

Thanks so much, I've been forgetting to ask for an ID on this thing for years! Unfortunately no clue on manufacturer here either.

*edit* My initial ID was a fairy shrimp largely due to the colour and association with better known triop shrimp, but I prefer your ID by far.

I think it is clearly an aquatic insect larva. I initially wanted to make it a member of Hydrophilidae, but couldn't find a match. However, upon further snooping it may be more aligned for a Berosus larva (Hydrophilidae) rather than Peltodytes.

[Beetle guy]

cool post Blaine, thanks!

[Beetle guy]

 Lucanus maculifemoratus is made by Yujin

[bmathison1972]

Lucanus maculifemoratus is made by Yujin

I have that figure in my records as the Kaiyodo figure from the Capsule Q stag beetle set.

[Beetle guy]

Lucanus maculifemoratus is made by Yujin

I have that figure in my records as the Kaiyodo figure from the Capsule Q stag beetle set.

The one pictured is Yujin for sure.

These are the two made by Kaiyodo. On front the Animal Tales version and in the back the one that came with the CapsuleQ Stag beetle set. Which is roughly a copy of the one in front.
The mandibles of the one in the Stag beetle set are moveable.
In your picture is the first version of the Maculifemoratus by Yujin (second and third had other paint and thinner tarsi).

[bmathison1972]

ok thanks...yeah I see now the two Kaiyodo ones are nearly identical and different from the one I posted. I used a white pen to put numbers on the bottom of them so I know in my database which is which (had to do the same thing with Dorcus hopei and A. dichtotoma lol). I prob just mixed up a couple numbers in my excel file

[bmathison1972]

Couple edits:
1) made that aquatic thing a Berosus larva (I actually came to that conclusion a while back but had forgotten and misplaced my notes). Lost my only haliplid figure but now I have my first hydrophilid figure ;-)
2) changed the stag to Yujin

[Beetle guy]

Isn't the  Dystiscus marginatus a Dystiscus marginalis? Or is that another species?

[bmathison1972]

...marginalis...two species ephitets I mix up sometimes lol

[BlueKrono]

My beetles (and some roaches that snuck in)

[bmathison1972]

My beetles (and some roaches that snuck in)

There is another thread for beetles in general

I have many of these (no surprise) but that generic green Oxyporus is neat. I have a dollar-store figure that's also obviously modeled after Oxyporus but this one appears to be a different sculpt.

[BlueKrono]

There is another thread for beetles in general

I have many of these (no surprise) but that generic green Oxyporus is neat. I have a dollar-store figure that's also obviously modeled after Oxyporus but this one appears to be a different sculpt.

Oops! Too bad there's no way for forum members to delete posts. I just saw "Coleoptera" and thought it was this one... and I figured you'd be the author. Ah well... The green Oxyporus has a sucker on the bottom, like to stick to a window. I'd be willing to trade or sell it if you're interested.

[bmathison1972]

There is another thread for beetles in general

I have many of these (no surprise) but that generic green Oxyporus is neat. I have a dollar-store figure that's also obviously modeled after Oxyporus but this one appears to be a different sculpt.

Oops! Too bad there's no way for forum members to delete posts. I just saw "Coleoptera" and thought it was this one... and I figured you'd be the author. Ah well... The green Oxyporus has a sucker on the bottom, like to stick to a window. I'd be willing to trade or sell it if you're interested.

No worries.

I might buy it from you at some point, we'll see