Overview

The Australian fauna includes Sarothrias lawrencei from North Qld and several undescribed Derolathrinae. The former is a distinctive looking beetle with scale-like setae on the antennae and tracts of silvery tomentum covering much of the body surface. Derolathrines are minute (less than 1 mm) and yellowish brown, with the head abruptly constricted behind the eyes to form short temples and the antennae 10- or 11-segmented with a 1- or 2-segmented club.

Description

Narrowly elongate beetles with metasternum as long as or longer than all 5 ventrites combined, maxillary palps aciculate, and basal tarsal segments reduced, so that tarsi may appear 2-segmented. Larvae elongate, slightly flattened, and sclerotised dorsally, with short antennae and short, fixed urogomphi.

Distribution

Derolathrines have been seen from Norfolk I., Lord Howe I., Christmas I., and various parts of Qld, A.C.T. and S.A. [Lobl and Burkhardt 1988; Sen Gupta 1979; Slipinski 1986.]