Zopherinae
# Zopherinae

Zopherinae is a subfamily of beetles, commonly known as ironclad beetles. Together with the subfamily Usechinae, they have been treated historically as a family, but have recently been joined by several additional taxa, making the Zopheridae a much larger composite family, and the Zopherinae are now only a small component within it, consisting of seven genera in the tribe Zopherini and one, Phellopsis in its own tribe (Phellopsini).

These beetles are apparently fungivores and associated with rotting wood, and as the common name implies, have one of the hardest of all arthropod exoskeletons; in some species, it is almost impossible to drive an insect pin through their bodies without using a small drill to make a hole first.

When disturbed, ironclad beetles play dead.

Some species in the genus Zopherus in Mexico are decorated with costume jewelry glued to their bodies, and sold as living brooches, known as ma'kech.

## Selected species

* Genus Phellopsis LeConte, 1862

    Phellopsis montana Casey, 1907
    Phellopsis obcordata (Kirby, 1837)
    Phellopsis porcata
    Phellopsis robustula Casey, 1907
* Genus Nosoderma Solier, 1841

    Nosoderma aequale
    Nosoderma diabolicum (LeConte, 1851)
    Nosoderma exsculptum
    Nosoderma guatemalense
    Nosoderma inaequale
    Nosoderma plicatum (LeConte, 1859)
    Nosoderma sylvaticum
    Nosoderma zunilense
* Genus Zopherus Laporte, 1840

    Zopherus championi Triplehorn, 1972
    Zopherus chilensis
    Zopherus concolor LeConte, 1851
    Zopherus elegans Horn, 1870
    Zopherus gracilis Horn, 1867
    Zopherus granicollis Horn, 1885
    Zopherus jansoni
    Zopherus jourdani
    Zopherus laevicollis
    Zopherus nervosus
    Zopherus nodulosus Solier, 1841
    Zopherus opacus Horn, 1867
    Zopherus sanctaehelenae (Blaisdell, 1931)
    Zopherus tristis LeConte, 1851
    Zopherus uteanus (Casey, 1907)
    Zopherus xestus Triplehorn, 1972
