Tree sponge beetle
| Tree sponge beetle | ||||||||||||
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Tree sponge beetle ( Litargus connexus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Mycetophagidae | ||||||||||||
| Leach , 1815 |
The tree sponge beetles (Mycetophagidae) are a family of beetles . There are 33 species and subspecies in Europe .
features
The beetles are 1 to 3.7 millimeters long and have an oval to elongated, slightly to strongly flattened body. Between the good mating neck shield and wing covers only a small seam is visible. The wings of some species are finely dotted with light. The animals are dense and hairy. Their antennae are eleven-limbed, the last three or four, rarely only the last two segments are widened like a club. The tarsi have four members in the females, in the males the first pair of tarsi is only three-membered. The individual segments are cylindrical and not widened. Because of their very similar size and hairiness, the species are difficult to distinguish from one another.
Way of life and occurrence
The animals are common, but due to their hidden way of life, they are not often noticed. Both the beetles and their larvae feed mainly on mushrooms , but some species also eat food, such as B. cereals and spices and also tobacco , which is why they are referred to as pests . Most species live in tree fungi , under bark, in dead wood, in rotting straw and hay or in cavities in the ground. The adults can sometimes be attracted by artificial light at night.
Types (selection)
- Tree sponge beetle ( Litargus connexus )
- Spotted tree sponge beetle ( Mycetophagus quadripustulatus )
- Yellow-brown tree sponge beetle ( Typhaea stercorea )
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mycetophagidae. Fauna Europaea, accessed November 13, 2006 .