Chain row

Dark blue ground beetle ( Carabus intricatus ), Elytre with three distinct rows of chains

In entomology, a chain row is a particularly distinctive sculpturing on the wing covers ( elytra ) of beetles . The rows of chains are one of the most important anatomical characteristics for these animal groups, especially ground beetles (Carabidae) and other conspicuous species. They are formed by knotty elevations in the hard chitin layer of the wings, which lie one behind the other and thus form a chain.

supporting documents

• Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al .: Beetles of Central and Northwestern Europe: an identification book for biologists and nature lovers . Parey, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1 , pp. 71 .