Trilobite Beetles: "Prehistoric" Creatures of our Forests
Trilobite beetles are not prehistoric. They merely resemble the extinct trilobite and adopted the name due to the visual similarity. However, that didn't stop some passionate photographers from calling it the "Jurassic bug" when they (we) first saw it in the wild!
This page consists of a personal checklist of all Trilobite Beetles (Platerodrilus sp.) that I've encountered over the years. Most are not identified, so any assistance on identification will be appreciated! Note that Duliticola is an obsolete junior synonym of Platerodrilus. Also, P. hoiseni is a junior synonym of P. ruficollis based on Masek & Bocak, 2014. The females in this genus remain in larval form and I don't think I've seen the male before.
All photos are of live subjects shot in the field, with the dorsal view selected where available. Click on individual photos for larger views and views from other angles. As specimens were not collected, identifications were done purely based on photographs and may not be 100% accurate. Thanks to Alvin Wong for suggestions on some of the IDs.
This page will be updated regularly, please let me know if you spot any mistakes.
View my complete Flickr photo set: Platerodrilus - Trilobite Beetles.
Class: Insecta Linnaeus, 1758
Order: Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758
Family: Lycidae Laporte, 1836
Genus: Platerodrilus Pic, 1921
Early Stages or Other Lycids
Trilobite Beetle Close-Ups and Alternate Angles
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