Prosternon tessellatum

Prosternon tessellatum, the chequered click beetle, is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae.

Prosternon tessellatum
Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Suborder:
Polyphaga
Family:
Elateridae
Genus:
Prosternon
Species:
P. tessellatum
Binomial name
Prosternon tessellatum
(Linnaeus, 1758) [1]

Distribution

This species is widespread in Europe, in Asia and in the Nearctic ecozone.[2][3]

Habitat

These beetles inhabit mountain areas, coniferous forests, dry forest edges and forest meadows, but also heathland, moors, dunes and gardens.

Mounted specimen

Description

Prosternon tessellatum can reach a body length of approximately 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). These beetles have a hairiness blackish-brown pronotum and striped elytra, with paler silk-hairy gray-yellow to gold-shining stains.

They are rather similar to Agrypnus murinus, that is smaller.

Biology

Adults can be found from May to early August, feeding on flowers, shrubs and low vegetation.[4]

Larvae of this species live in tree stumps of conifers and in humus. They are predators and destroy cocoons of pine-tree lappet (Dendrolimus pini) and pine sawfly (Neodiprion).

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References
  1. Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio Decima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm
  2. Fauna Europaea
  3. Norman H. Joy, , 1932 A Practical Handbook of British Beetles
  4. Inaturalist


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