The larvae of Lycidae are flattened predators,

often living under bark or in leaf litter, and feeding

on snails and other soft-bodied invertebrates, while

adults of most genera are short-lived and weak-

flying, feeding on nectar or, in some species, not

feeding at all. In some genera, such as the large

Southeast Asian Platerodrilus (formerly known under

the name Duliticola), females remain “larviform” for

notes

Lycids are abundant in warm tropical

environments, but in northern latitudes they

can be uncommon. In northern Europe

many species are rare, and their presence

can be an indication of good-quality

ancient woodland

left | Platerodrilus

paradoxus A large

female larva (or

larviform female)

from a montane

rainforest on Mount

Kinabalu, North

Borneo.

below | Calopteron

A lycid from the

rainforests of

Ecuador displays

its bright warning

colors. The network

of wing veins that

gives this family their

common name is

clearly visible.

all their comparatively long life, crawling through

the leaf litter of tropical forests and producing a

pheromone to attract the tiny flying males. It can

be difficult to tell the larviform females apart from

actual larvae, since they go through no true

pupation or metamorphosis.

opposite | Broxylus majeri

A strangely modified, slow-moving

lycid beetle from the forests of

Sulawesi, Indonesia.