Ptiliidae
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Staphyliniformia
Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Family: Ptiliidae

[Photo] Feather-winged beetle (Acrotrichis sp. Family Ptiliidae). Source: University of Colorado Museum of Natural History - http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Objects/sep05_featherwing.html

Ptiliidae is a family of minute beetles with a worldwide distribution. This family contains the smallest of all beetles (length 0.5 mm) and even the largest members of the family do not exceed 2 mm. They are sometimes referred to as feather-winged beetles as the hindwings are narrow and feather-like. There are over 400 described species in about 65 genera but large numbers of specimens in collections await description and the true number of species is clearly much higher than this.

Adults and larvae are usually found in rotting organic material in a wide range of habitats. The eggs are very large in comparison to the adult female (maybe half the length) so only one egg at a time can be developed and laid. Parthenogenesis is exhibited by several species.

Fossil ptiliids have been recorded from the Oligocene and Holocene epochs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather-winged_beetle

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