Lesson plan
Languria
Languria is an American genus in the pleasing fungus beetle family (Erotylidae). They belong to the lizard beetle tribe Languriini of subfamily Languriinae; formerly, their subfamily was considered a distinct family, and their tribe upranked to subfamily status, whereas some recent authors prefer to merge Languriinae into subfamily Erotylinae. This genus is native to North and Central America; of the almost 20 species, three range as far north as Canada, but most inhabit Florida and adjacent regions. One species, L.mozardi, is occasionally found outside the Americas as introduced individuals. These beetles are slim and small, typically with blackish elytra and a red pronotum, sometimes with a black mark on the latter and/or red marks on the former. The head is red or black depending on species. They measure about half an inch (~13 mm) in length at most but sometimes as short as 4 mm; some species have extreme individual variation in size and/or polymorphism in coloration. In most of their range, Languria can be distinguished from other lizard beetles by the tips of their elytra being smoothly rounded, with a slight curve or bluntness at most.
Article summary
Languria is an American genus in the pleasing fungus beetle family (Erotylidae). They belong to the lizard beetle tribe Languriini of subfamily Languriinae; formerly, their subfamily was considered a distinct family, and their tribe upranked to subfamily status, whereas some recent authors prefer to merge Languriinae into subfamily Erotylinae. This genus is native to North and Central America; of the almost 20 species, three range as far north as Canada, but most inhabit Florida and adjacent regions. One species, L.mozardi, is occasionally found outside the Americas as introduced individuals. These beetles are slim and small, typically with blackish elytra and a red pronotum, sometimes with a black mark on the latter and/or red marks on the former. The head is red or black depending on species. They measure about half an inch (~13 mm) in length at most but sometimes as short as 4 mm; some species have extreme individual variation in size and/or polymorphism in coloration. In most of their range, Languria can be distinguished from other lizard beetles by the tips of their elytra being smoothly rounded, with a slight curve or bluntness at most.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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