Cryptophilus

Cryptophilus adults are brown and slightly hairy beetles, 1.6-2.3 mm long and with 3-segmented antennal clubs.^[4] They resemble beetles of the unrelated family Cryptophagidae.^[4][5] Unlike cryptophagids, Cryptophilus have procoxal sockets that are closed.^[5]

The larvae are long, hairy and have a granulate or tuberculate dorsum. They can be mistaken for larvae of Monotoma (Monotomidae) or Epuraea (Nitidulidae), which occur in similar habitats. Cryptophilus larvae can be recognised by their mandibles, which lack a sub-apical accessory tooth and have a large, subtriangular prostheca.^[5]

Cryptophilus occur in decaying plant matter (e.g. leaf litter, wood debris, compost heaps, grass cuttings, straw) and also in stored food products (e.g. cereals, beans, flour, dried fruit, nuts).^[4][5][6] Adults and larvae are mycophages that feed on mould.^[4][6]

These species belong to the genus Cryptophilus:

• Cryptophilus angustus (Rosenhauer, 1856)
• Cryptophilus cryptophagoides Grouvelle, 1916
• Cryptophilus hiranoi Sasaji, 1984
• Cryptophilus kurbatovi Lyubarsky, 2010)
• Cryptophilus minimus Grouvelle, 1914
• Cryptophilus mirus Grouvelle, 1914
• Cryptophilus obliteratus Reitter, 1874 [1878?]
• Cryptophilus propinquus Reitter, 1874 (including synonym Cryptophilus fluminalis Casey, 1924).
• Cryptophilus quadrisignatus Motschulsky, 1860
• Cryptophilus seriatus Casey, 1924

(see also Cryptophilus integer (Heer, 1841) as a junior synonym of Micrambe abietis (Paykull, 1798) per Esser 2016, & Esser 2017, contra "integer" sensu auct. as Cryptophilus propinquus or Cryptophilus angustus.