Australian thief beetle
| Australian thief beetle | ||||||||||||
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Australian thief beetle ( Ptinus tectus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ptinus tectus | ||||||||||||
| Boieldieu , 1856 |
The Australian thief beetle ( Ptinus tectus ) is a beetle from the subfamily of the thief beetles (Ptininae).
features
The Australian thief beetle is about three to 3.5 millimeters long and has a matt, dark brown basic color. The hair is golden brown to grayish white and lies close to the body. The bristle hairs on the wing covers are strung and stick out. The pronotum base is provided with a hair pad and two small blunt humps on both sides. Sex dimorphism is not observed in this species.
The larvae reach a length of about five millimeters and are white to yellowish and provided with fine, protruding hairs. The head capsule is yellow-brown.
Synonyms
- Ptinus ocellus Brown, 1929
- Ptinus pilosus A. White & Butler, 1846
Similar species
- Herb thief ( Ptinus fur )
distribution
The Australian thief beetle is originally native to Australia , New Zealand and Tasmania . It was introduced to Europe via England around 1900. It can be found both in the wild, where it lives mainly in bird nests of pigeons , swallows , sparrows or in flowering conifers , as well as in stores.
Way of life
Under optimal conditions (23 to 25 ° C; 70 to 90% humidity), the females of the Australian thief beetle produce several hundred eggs, which are laid directly on the substrate. The larvae hatch after about 14 days. Further development takes place over three to five larval stages and takes four to eight weeks, depending on the temperature and the food available. The larvae are characterized by a pronounced spinning activity. To pupate, they drill into leather, plastic, packaging, paper or cardboard, for example, and place their doll's cradle there.
The adults are photophobic and active at night but not able to fly. They eat on leather, textiles and, in museums, also on animal preparations and damage them through surface corrosion. The beetles are well adapted to drought. The lifespan is ten to twelve months under favorable conditions, but usually only two to three months. Two to three generations emerge over the course of the year.
pest
The beetle is a widespread pest in Central Europe that can be found in various animal and vegetable stocks such as spices, tea, dried fruits, malt, yeast, semolina, bird and fish feed and fish meal. It is only found on cereal products after previous damage by other pests.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Ptinus tectus. Fauna Europaea, accessed March 26, 2007 .
- ^ The Australian thief beetle, Ptinus tectus (Boieldieu, 1856). Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, accessed on March 26, 2007 .