- Trixagidae
- false metallic wood-boring beetles, small false click beetles, throseid beetles
- Hüpfkäfer
- rikkasepät
- blusvabaliai
- lēcējcvaboļu dzimta
- podrywkowate
- småknäppare
Pasaulyje yra apie 150 rūšių, Lietuvoje – apie 5 rūšys. Aptinkami miškuose ant žolinių augalų, po dumblių sąnašomis jūros krantuose. Vabalai vystosi trūnijančioje lapuočių medžių medienoje. Smulkūs vabalai. Priešnugarėlė nejudama, standžiai prigulusi prie antsparnių. Antenos pjūkliškos arba su trinare buožele.
Most of the text below is from now defunct site www.ukbeetles.co.uk, where it was published under a CC BY 4.0 License.
Closely related to the Eucnemidae and Elateridae, the throscids are distinctive among the various superficially similar species; they are distinguished be the small size, 1.5-4 mm, the characteristic elongate-oval shape and rather flattened dorsal surface, the pronotum fitting tightly against the elytral base, the deflexed head and the antennae which are distinctly clubbed except in the genus Potergus (Bonvouloir, 1871) in which they are filiform but in any case the genus will be instantly recognized as a member of the Throscidae. The family contains 5 genera and more than 150 species with an almost worldwide distribution; so far none have been recorded from New Zealand. The greatest diversity occurs in subtropical and warmer temperate regions; 30 species in 3 genera occur in the U.S.A. and less than 10 species in 2 genera in central Europe. They occur in a wide range of habitats but in general are insects of lowland and mid-level vegetated woodland, parkland, wooded pasture and scrub etc. and occur frequently in urban situations. They are active from early spring and are diurnal, sometimes occurring on flowers, as well as nocturnal. The adults may be found on tree trunks and logs etc. especially in the evening when they mate. Adults have been observed to ‘click’ but not so powerfully as the elaterids and their ability to flip over is poor, the prosternal process is generally wide and triangular at the apex with no subapical constriction, and the mesosternum is deeply and widely emarginate to receive it, and so there appears to be no elaterid-type jumping mechanism. Larvae have been observed in soil, rotten conifer wood and among grass tussocks, and at least some soil inhabiting species have been observed feeding upon ectomycorrhizal fungi on tree roots.
With a little experience the family is immediately recognizable against similar sized eucnemids and elaterids; in the field the characteristic oval shape, broadest at the pronotal-elytral base soon becomes obvious. Characteristically oblong-oval and very compact, especially with the appendages withdrawn. Drab; brown to black and with fairly dense semi-erect pubescence over the dorsal surface. The head is usually mostly hidden within the thorax; hypognathous with robust mandibles and a movable labrum-a character that will distinguish them from the eucnemids. Maxillary palpi 4-segmented with the terminal segment triangular. Antennae inserted on the frons between the eyes; 11-segmented with an abrupt 3-5 segmented club. Eyes transversely oval, coarsely faceted and finely pubescent, entire to deeply emarginate; sometimes almost completely divided. Pronotum broadest at the base and narrowed towards the apex, fitting closely to the base of the elytra, hind margin sinuate and hind angles produced, lateral margins finely bordered, at least towards the base. Prosternum with deep antennal scrobes and the coxal cavities open posteriorly. Scutellum triangular, small but usually obvious. Hind wings well developed and most species fly well. Elytra completely covering the abdomen, narrowed and rounded apically. Striae punctured but shallow, interstices flat or only very weakly convex, finely to moderately strongly punctured and pubescent. Epipleura broad at the base and usually gradually narrowed to the apex, sometimes strongly narrowed at the level of the hind margin of the metasternum. Meso- and metacoxae excavate posteriorly to receive the femora. Abdomen with 5 visible sternites which are all connate. Legs slender and relatively short, retractable into cavities on the ventral surface of the thorax. Trocanters short and triangular, femora and tibiae flattened, the tibiae ridged along the outer edge and with two fine apical spines. Tarsi 5-5-5, segment 4 lobed below. Claws simple. The larvae are weakly sclerotized and grub-like with a small head and reduced legs. Antennae very short and mandibles rounded, flattened and fused to the head. Legs very short and 5-segmented. Tergite 9 with a pair of tiny urogomphi and segment 10 reduced or missing.