Common dust beetle
| Common dust beetle | ||||||||||||
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Common dust beetle ( Opatrum sabulosum ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Opatrum sabulosum | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1761) |
The common dust beetle ( Opatrum sabulosum ) is a beetle from the family of the black beetle (Tenebrionidae) and is one of the most common representatives of this family in Central Europe .
features
The animals reach a body size of seven to ten millimeters. They have a very flat, oval and compact body, which is matt gray or black in color, the color varies depending on the inhabited area and the nature of the soil, as the animals are mostly covered with earth and dust. The claws are reddish in color. The elytra each have three raised, finely granulated longitudinal grooves, next to which numerous small, shiny bumps are lined up. The elytra are roughly structured between the grooves just like the pronotum .
Similar species
Occurrence
They are found on dry and sunny soils that are sandy or earthy, such as B. on field edges and other places without vegetation or under stones. They are also found on ant nests of Formica fusca and Formica sanguinea . They occur in Central and Northern Europe , from the Caucasus to Siberia .
Way of life
Like almost all members of this family, the beetles and their larvae feed on rotting, but also fresh plant material.
development
After mating, the female lays around 100 eggs on the ground in spring. The larvae that hatch live on the ground from May to July and can occasionally cause damage to crops. The species then appears as a pest on beets and other crops. The larvae pupate underground in the same year. The beetles hatch from September, but overwinter in the ground before they reappear.
literature
- Harde, Severa: Der Kosmos Käferführer, The Central European Beetles , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-06959-1
- Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al .: Beetles of Central and Northwestern Europe. Parey, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1
