false jewel beetle

English

Etymology

Following a 1991 review, the subfamily Schizopinae was promoted to family status (and renamed Schizopodidae), having been until then classified within the jewel beetle family, Buprestidae. Usage of the term false jewel beetle thus appears to be a logical consequence of the move.

Noun

false jewel beetle (plural false jewel beetles)

1. Any beetle of the family Schizopodidae, which resemble and are closely related to jewel beetles (buprestids).

   Synonym: schizopodid

   • 2006, Arthur V. Evans, James N. Hogue, Field Guide to Beetles of California, University of California Press, page 123:

     Schizopodid beetles or false jewel beetles are similar to metallic wood-boring beetles or jewel beetles (Buprestidae) but are distinguished by the deeply bilobed fourth tarsal segment of the adults.

   • 2019, Dong Ren, Chungkun Shih, Taiping Gao, Yongjie Wang, Yunzhi Yao, editors, Rhythms of Insect Evolution, Wiley, page 377:

     Schizopodidae, called "false jewel beetles", are a small group of beetles endemic to the western North America.

   • 2021, Arthur V. Evans, Beetles of Western North America, Princeton University Press, unnumbered page,

     Commonly called false jewel beetles because the adults resemble jewel or metallic wood-boring beetles (Buprestidae, p.210), they^{[schizopodids]} are distinguished by their deeply bilobed fourth tarsomere. Schizopodids are typically found feeding on spring-blooming desert flowers, clinging to dry grasses (Schizopus) or on foliage of oaks (Dystaxia) and junipers (Glyptoscelimorpha).

Further reading

• Schizopodidae on Wikipedia.Wikipedia