Wedge-shaped Beetle - Pelectomoides sp.

Family Rhipiphoridae

This page contains information and pictures about Wedge-shaped Beetles in family Rhipiphoridae that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.



Most beetles in this family have long and narrow body in wedge shape but do not have prolonged abdominal apex as as Mordellidae. They are yellow, brown to black in colours. Male has the flabellate antenna while female has the serrate antenna. The head and thorax are strongly deflexed.

Their larvae are parasitic on other insects, including cockroaches, wood-boring beetles and wasps.


Pelectomoides sp., male, body length 15mm

On the top of the Rocks Circuit in Karawatha Forest, we found a Wedge-shaped Beetle. It was a male with antennae flabellate. This is the first time (2006) we found a beetle in the Rhipiphoridae family.



The beetle was sitting on the top of a small Acacia tree, with its antennae fingers fully opened, seems waiting for something. We gauss it was waiting to receive the perfume signal from a female.




We found this beetle again on Oct 2007 in Karawatha Forest Dentata Track. It was also resting on leaf, wide open its antenna seem waiting for something.




Also found this beetle in Anstead Forest on Mar 2011.

Reference:
1. Rhipiphoridae - Insects of Townsville, Australia.
2. A guide to the Genera of Beetles of South Australia Part.5 - Matthews, E.G. 1987, p4.
3. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 663.
4. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
5. A Guide to the Beetles of Australia - George Hangay and Paul Zborowski, CSIRO PUBLISHING April 2010, p170.