PLATERODRILUS RUFICOLLIS
TRILOBITE BEETLE

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KINGDOM : Animalia

PHYLUM : Arthropoda

CLASS : Insecta

ORDER : Coleoptera

FAMILY : Lycidae

GENUS : Platerodrilus

SPECIES : P. Ruficollis

PLATERODRILUS RUFICOLLIS
TRILOBITE BEETLE

Platerodrilus ruficollis, also known by its junior synonym, Duliticola hoiseni, is a species of trilobite beetle. This species is found in Malaysia and Singapore.

The females of this species retain a larval form as adults (larviform females) and are about 40-80 mm in length. They have a flattened, dark body with large scales over the head, resembling trilobites. This resemblance to trilobites, a fossil group of extinct marine arthropods, has led to their informal names trilobite beetle, trilobite larva, or Sumatran trilobite larva.

In contrast, the males are much smaller, 8-9 mm, and resemble other beetles. The males undergo full metamorphosis.

Evolution
Although the females resemble the prehistoric trilobite, the trilobite beetle evolved approximately 47 million years ago, 200 million years after trilobites had gone extinct.

Discovery
The search for the species males remained a mystery until Swedish zoologist Eric Mjoberg published a research paper describing them in 1925.

Habitat
Species of the genus Platerodrilus are found in tropical forests of India and South-east Asia.

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