Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Cissites maculata (Swederus, 1787)

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The beetles are nest parasites of several species of Xylocopa bees (X. darwini Cockerell in the Galápagos), and larvae probably disperse on them (Brues 1924, Hurd 1955: 372, MacSwain 1961); littoral to transition zones; January–March, May, June, October; flightless females in bee nests, winged males in bee nests or at lights. These beetles may be local or very rare.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Coleoptera

Suborder
Polyphaga

Superfamily
Tenebrionoidea

Family
Meloidae

Section
Horiini

Genus
Cissites

Species
maculata

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Native

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Baltra, Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Santiago

References

  • Peck, S.B. (2006) The Beetles of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity (Insecta: Coleoptera) NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 314 pp.
  • Franz, H. (1985) Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Koleopterenfauna der Galapagos-Inseln. Österr. Akad. Wissensch. Mathem.-naturw. Kl., Abt. I, 194(1-5): 73-124.
  • Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
  • Van Dyke, E.C. (1953) The Coleoptera of the Galapagos Islands. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 22: 1-181.
  • Kaszab, Z. (1970) Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae. Mission Zool. Belge aux îles Galapagos et en Ecuador (N. et J. Leleup, 1964-1965) 2: 183-210.
  • MacSwain, J.W. (1961) Primary larvae of Cissites associated with New World Carpenter Bees (Coleoptera-Meloidae: Hymenoptera-Xylocopidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 37(3): 191-194.
  • Mutchler, A.J. (1938) Coleoptera from the Galapagos Islands. American Museum Novitates 981: 1-19.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Cissites maculata", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=5713. Accessed 29 April 2025.