Ommatidae
Introduction The '''Ommatidae''' are a family of beetles in the suborder Archostemata. The Ommatidae are considered the extant beetle family that has most ancestral characteristics. There are only seven extant species, confined to Australia and South America. However, the geographical distribution was much wider during the Mesozoic spanning across Eurasia and Australia, suggesting that they were widespread on Pangea. So far, over 26 extinct genera containing over 170 species of these beetles have been described. Three extant genera have been assigned to this family: ''Omma,'' ''Tetraphalerus'' and ''Beutelius''. The family is considered to be a subfamily of Cupedidae by some authors, but have been found to be more closely related to Micromalthidae in molecular phylogenies. A close relationship with Micromalthidae is supported by several morphological characters, including those of the mandibles and male genitalia. Due to their rarity, their ecology is obscure, it is likely that their larvae feed on deadwood.
Genera According to Kirejtshuk, 2020 and subsequent literature.===Extinct genera===* †''Allophalerus'' Kirejtshuk 2020 Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous (Asia)* †''Asiania'' Lee et al. 2023 Early Cretaceous (South Korea)* †''Blapsium'' Westwood, 1854 Middle Jurassic (England)* †''Brochocoleus'' Hong, 1982 Early Jurassic-Late Cretaceous (Eurasia)* †''Bukhkalius'' Kirejtshuk and Jarzembowski 2020 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Burmocoleus'' Kirejtshuk 2020 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Cionocoleus'' Ren, 1995 Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Eurasia)* †''Cionocups'' Kirejtshuk 2020 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Clessidromma'' Jarzembowski et al. 2017 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Diluticupes'' Ren 1995 Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Eurasia)* †''Echinocups'' Kirejtshuk and Jarzembowski 2020 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) (other authors consider this genus a junior synonym of ''Notocupes'')* †? ''Eurydictyon'' Ponomarenko, 1969 Early Jurassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to ''Notocupes'')* †''Jarzembowskiops'' Kirejtshuk 2020 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Kirejtomma'' Li & Cai, 2021 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Lepidomma'' Jarzembowski et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Liassocupes'' Zeuner 1962 Early Jurassic (England)* †''Limnomma'' Li & Cai in Li et al. 2021, Middle Jurassic (China)* †''Lithocupes'' Ponomarenko, 1966 Late Triassic (Kyrgyzstan)* †''Miniomma'' Li, Yamamoto & Cai, 2020, Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Monticupes'' Ren 1995 Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (China)* †? ''Notocupes'' Ponomarenko, 1964 Middle Triassic-Late Cretaceous (Eurasia) (other authors have considered this genus more closely related to Cupedidae)* †? ''Notocupoides'' Ponomarenko, 1966 Late Triassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to ''Notocupes'')* †''Odontomma'' Ren et al. 2006 Early Cretaceous (China)* †''Paraodontomma'' Yamamoto 2017 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Pareuryomma'' Tan et al. 2012 Early Cretaceous (China)* †''Polyakius'' Kirejtshuk 2020 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †? ''Rhabdocupes'' Ponomarenko, 1966 Late Triassic (Kyrgyzstan) (possibly closely related to ''Notocupes'')* †''Rhopalomma'' Ashman et al. 2015 Late Jurassic (Australia)* †''Stegocoleus'' Jarzembowski and Wang 2016 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)* †''Tetraphalerites'' Crowson 1962 Eocene (England)* †''Zygadenia'' Handlirsch, 1906 Early Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Eurasia, ?Australia) (probably closely related to ''Notocupes'')===Extant genera===* ''Omma'' Newman, 1839 Late Triassic-Late Cretaceous (Eurasia), recent (Australia)* ''Tetraphalerus'' Waterhouse, 1901 Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Asia) recent (South America)* ''Beutelius'' Escalona et al., 2020 Recent, (Australia)The extinct genus ''Fuscicupes'' Hong and Wang 1990 was included in the family by some authors, but was excluded by Kirejtshuk (2020).
Gallery File:Clessidromma.jpg|''Clessidromma''File:Limnomma daohugouense holotype.jpg|''Limnomma''File:Bukhkalius.jpg|''Bukhkalius''File:Paraodontomma szwedoi.jpg|''Paraodontomma''File:Paraodontomma leptocristatum.jpg|''Paraodontomma''File:Miniomma 2.png|''Miniomma''File:Beutelius sagitta.jpg|''Beutelius sagitta''File:CSIRO ScienceImage 2199 An Ommatid Beetle.jpg|''Beutelius rutherfordi''
References
External links **  Ommatidae Tree of Life*