Ablattaria laevigata
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Ablattaria laevigata - dorsal view |
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| Ablattaria laevigata | ||||||||||||
| ( Fabricius , 1775) |
Ablattaria laevigata is a beetle from the family of carrion beetles (Silphidae).
features
The black beetles have a body length of 12-18 mm. The pronotum is semicircularly narrowed towards the front and uniformly dotted. The head is elongated like a snout. The elytra are not ribbed. There may be hints of fine lines in place of the ribs.
distribution
The distribution area of the species extends from Western, Southern and Central Europe over Asia Minor to the Caucasus and the Middle East (Israel). In the British Isles, the species is represented in southern and central England. In Germany the species occurs mainly in warm areas. In the North German Plain , the Weser forms the eastern limit of distribution. The beetle species is on the Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany.
Way of life
The warmth-loving species lives under the bark of rotten trees and under moss. The beetles can usually be seen from the beginning of April to August. They feed mainly on land snails . These include the Mediterranean sand snail ( Theba pisana ) and representatives of the genera Monacha , Xeropicta , Candidula and Helix . Furthermore, caterpillars are part of the beetle's diet.
The biology of the species was studied in detail by Heymons and von Lengerken in 1931. Accordingly, the species hunts specialized shell snails, especially medium-sized and large species, such as the genus Helix . Other animal foods, including nudibranchs, are only accepted in emergencies (it was possible to raise the animals on beef for food), vegetable foods never. The hunting technique is comparable with imaginal beetles and larvae, whereby the long, snout-shaped head makes it easier for the beetles to penetrate the snail shell. The snail is driven back into its shell by bites in the head area and attacked there mechanically, by bites, and chemically, by digestive secretions and the secretion of the pygidial glands . Digestion takes place extraintestinally . Ideally, the beetles can prey on a snail every two days. Beetles and larvae are very quick and lively on the hunt, otherwise mostly inactive and hidden in hiding places. Mated females can lay a clutch of around eight eggs every two to five days. To do this, they dig a small hole in the ground. The larvae hatch from the eggs after four to eight days and burrow to the surface. The three larval stages are completed in about 18 to 25 days under favorable conditions. The black, elongated and highly arched larvae balls like a concern for roll Assel one. The imaginal beetles overwinter in the ground, they live until early autumn of the following year.
Taxonomy
The following synonyms can be found in the literature :
- Ablattaria costulata Portevin , 1926
- Ablattaria distinguenda Portevin , 1926
- Ablattaria punctata Portevin , 1926
- Ablattaria var.meridionalis Ganglbauer , 1899
- Silpha gibba Brullé , 1832
- Silpha laevigata Fabricius , 1775
- Silpha polita Sulzer , 1776
Web links
- Ablattaria laevigata at www.insektenbox.de
- www.kerbtier.de
- Description (French) with photos and a. the beetle larva at www.quelestcetanimal.com
- Beetle photos while eating snails at www.entomologiitaliani.net
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Heinz Freude, Karl Wilhelm Harde, Gustav Adolf Lohse: Die Käfer Mitteleuropas. Volume 3: Adephaga 2; Palpicornia; Histeroidea; Staphylinoidea 1. Verlag Goecke & Evers, Krefeld, 1971.
- ↑ a b c Karel Hurka: Beetles of the Czech and Slovak Republics . Kabourek, Zlin 2005, ISBN 80-86447-11-1 , p. 65.
- ↑ a b Arved Lompe: Beetles of Europe - Ablattaria . www.coleo-net.de. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ↑ Ablattaria laevigata in Fauna Europaea
- ^ Silpha laevigata Fabricius, 1775 . www.coleoptera.org.uk. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ↑ a b Klaus Koch : Die Käfer Mitteleuropas Ökologie . 1st edition. tape 2 . Goecke & Evers, Krefeld 1989, ISBN 3-87263-040-7 .
- ^ R. Heymons & H. von Lengerken (1931): Studies on the life phenomena of the Silphini (Coleoptera). VIII. Ablattaria laevigata F. Journal of Animal Morphology and Ecology 24: 259-287.
- ↑ Ablattaria laevigata (Fabricius, 1775) . www.biolib.cz. Retrieved April 11, 2018.