Violin Beetle

Mormolyce phyllodes belongs to Carabidae, the ground-beetle family. Its distinctive lateral expansions give the adult the outline reflected in the name Violin Beetle. [1][3]

The flattened wing covers widen beyond the slender body; the head, pronotum, legs and antennae remain elongated. The 1968 Perak series showed substantial size variation without reliable external sex differences. [2]

Museum specimens document the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Java and Sumatra. Thai records include Surat Thani and Ranong; Museums Victoria holds a specimen from Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands. [2][3][1]

Described larvae are yellowish with a dark head and dark patches on the thorax and abdomen. The pupa bears brown setae and lateral abdominal projections. [2]

In Perak in March 1963, adults rested upside down beneath bracket fungi. Disturbed beetles discharged an irritating liquid spray and attempted to escape by running. [2]

Eleven adults occupied three bracket fungi on one fallen tree: five beneath the largest and three beneath each smaller fungus. [2]

Adults in the Perak series carried external Laboulbeniaceae fungi, distinct from the bracket fungi sheltering them. [2]

Hagenbach described Mormolyce phyllodes in 1825. The 1968 revision designated a male from the original Java series as lectotype. [3][2]

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.