pythid

pythid

English

Pytho depressus, a pythid

Noun

pythid (plural pythids)

1. (zoology) Any beetle of the family Pythidae.
   • 1990, Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, Issues 151-155, page 5,

     Sphalma quadricollis was originally described as a pythid by Horn (1872), contrary to Watt (1987) who states that S. quadricollis was originally placed in Melandryidae.

   • 1999, L. Somme, Cold adaptations in terrestrial invertebrates, Rosa Margesin, Franz Schinner (editors), Cold-Adapted Organisms: Ecology, Physiology, Enzymology and Molecular Biology, page 151,

     When the lower lethal temperatures of the chrysomelid beetle Phyllodecta laticollis or of the pythid beetle Pytho depressus is plotted against the concentrations of solutes in their hemolymph, a steep regression line appears.

   • 2005, P. J. Gullan, Peter Cranston, The Insects: An Outline of Entomology, page 369,

     Finally, pythids and belids are Batesian mimics, apparently lacking any chemical defenses.