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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Ditemnus Silini Soldier Beetles
Ditemnus (Genus)

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Beetles (Order Coleoptera​​)

-​Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles (Suborder Polyphaga)

-Elateriform Beetles (Infraorder Elateriformia)

-Click, Firefly, and Soldier Beetles (Superfamily Elateroidea)

-​Soldier Beetles (Family Cantharidae)

-​Subfamily Silinae

-Tribe Silini​

-Genus Ditemnus


Ditemnus is a genus of the Silini tribe of soldier beetles. Silini beetles are known for their predatory and pollinating roles in ecosystems. Adults are typically active on flowers, where they feed on nectar, pollen, and small insects, contributing to pollination while also serving as natural pest control. The larvae, which are usually found in soil or leaf litter, are active predators that feed on other invertebrates.

Diet

  • Adults: Primarily predatory, feeding on aphids, small caterpillars, insect eggs, mites, and other soft-bodied arthropods. They also visit flowers and consume nectar and pollen.

  • Larvae: Predatory, living primarily in leaf litter and soil, where they feed on small insects and other invertebrates.

Range

  • Ditemnus is a genus of soldier beetles (Cantharidae) occurring in North America, with its greatest diversity in the southern and western parts of the continent.

  • The genus includes species recorded in the United States and Canada; its distribution extends into Mexico, particularly in northern and southwestern regions.

Habitat

  • Adults are generally found on flowers and foliage, particularly in open woodland, prairie, forest edges, and other vegetation-rich habitats.

  • Larvae occur in leaf litter and soil, where they hunt small invertebrates.

  • Ditemnus species are often active during daylight hours.

Size

  • Adult length: generally about 5–7 mm (0.2–0.28 in).

  • Body elongate and relatively soft, with dark elytra and a contrasting reddish or orange pronotum in several species. The head is partly concealed beneath the pronotum.

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