Chelonariidae or turtle beetles is a family of beetles in the superfamily Byrrhoidea. It was described by Blanchard in 1845.[1] There are 3 genera with around 300 described species. Little is known of their ecology, though it seems they are associated with the roots of orchids and the nests of ants and termites. Their exoskeletons are heavily sclerotised and their limbs can be effectively retracted into their bodies due to the presence of socket-like cavities.[2] Adult specimens have seed-shaped bodies that are typically colored brown or black with lighter patches.[3]
^Beutel, Rolf G. and Leschen, Richard A. B.. "Chelonariidae Blanchard, 1845: Coleoptera, Beetles". Handbook of Zoology Online, edited by Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2016.
^Kirejtshuk, A. G. and Azar, D.: Current knowledge of Coleoptera (Insecta) from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber and taxonomical notes for some Mesozoic groups, Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews, 6, 103–134, doi:10.1163/18749836-06021061, 2013.
