Opilo domesticus
This record describes Opilo domesticus (species). Recorded family: Cleridae. Recorded order: Coleoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Coleoptera (Beetles)
- Suborder
- Polyphaga
- Superfamily
- Cleroidea
- Family
- Cleridae (Checkered Beetles)
- Subfamily
- Clerinae
- Genus
- Opilo
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
most often collected in old wooden buildings (barns, windmills, etc.) infested with wood borers; outdoors occurs in stored lumber and old trees damaged by beetle larvae, esp. Ptinidae & Cerambycidae
Geographic Range
native to w. Palaearctic, adventive in NA (Canada, Mexico)
Diet and Behavior
Diet: xylophagous insects, esp. beetles; both larvae and adults effectively destroy various pests of structural wood, fruit trees, and stored products, such as Anobium punctatum , Hylotrupes bajulus , Gracilia minuta , Scolytus rugulosus , Stegobium paniceum , etc.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Opilo domesticus (Sturm 1837)
About Primitive Winged Insects: the wider group
Order-level background for Coleoptera, the group containing Opilo domesticus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Coleoptera is the largest order of insects with over 400,000 described species, representing ~25% of all known animal species and ~40% of all insects. In the U.S. alone, nearly 30,000 beetle species have been identified.
Ecological role of the group
Beetles are prominent decomposers, especially in forests, breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients. As predators, they reduce populations of pest insects. Many species are also important pollinators of flowering plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Beetles have major economic significance: leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and weevils (Curculionoidea) are among the most destructive agricultural pests globally, costing billions annually, while predatory species like ladybugs provide natural pest control.
Recorded sources for this group: Britannica, Smithsonian, NCSU Entomology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.