| Ant nest beetles | |
|---|---|
| Cerapterus pilipennis (Paussini : Cerapterina) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Adephaga |
| Superfamily: | Caraboidea |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Subfamily: | Paussinae Latreille, 1807 |
| Tribes | |
|
Metriini LeConte, 1853 |
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Ant nest beetles (Paussinae), known also as flanged bombardier beetles or paussines, are a large subfamily of ground beetles (Carabidae). Most Paussinae are obligate myrmecophiles predatory on ant larvae and workers.
Paussines are characterised by moderate size (6-20 mm), by glandular hairs that produce secretions attractive to ants and by the odd antennal structures of many species. Their pygidial glands can produce explosive secretions, making them bombardier beetles. But they are not particularly close relatives of the typical bombardier beetles (Brachininae); these are close relatives of the advanced Harpalinae, while the flanged bombardier beetles are a distinct and ancient lineage of ground beetles.
Contents |
The subfamily Paussinae contains 49 genera, divided into the following tribes and subtribes:[1]
Subtribe Carabidomemnina Wasmann, 1928
Subtribe Cerapterina Billberg, 1820
Subtribe Heteropaussina Janssens, 1953
Subtribe Homopterina Janssens, 1953
Subtribe Paussina Latreille, 1807
Subtribe Pentaplatarthrina Jeannel, 1946