Brass beetle
| Brass beetle | ||||||||||||
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Brass beetle ( Niptus hololeucus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Niptus hololeucus | ||||||||||||
| ( Faldermann , 1836) |
The brass beetle ( Niptus hololeucus ) is a beetle from the subfamily of the thief beetles (Ptininae).
description
The beetle is 2.6 to 4.6 millimeters in size and has a spider-like shape, as the head barely protrudes from the spherical pronotum , which is, however, clearly constricted from the almost hemispherical abdomen. The dense golden-yellow hair of the dark red-brown insect is striking. The legs are thickened club-shaped, the quite long antennae have no antennae. The beetles have no hind wings and are therefore unable to fly.
Occurrence
The brass beetle, which originally occurred in the Pontic , was abducted by humans and is now widespread worldwide. In Europe, however, it only appeared more frequently since 1837, when it was first reported in England on pig bristles from southern Russia.
Way of life
The species lives mainly in old houses under floorboards or in walls. The beetles are nocturnal and eat a wide variety of organic substances: textiles, feathers, furs, bones, feces, dead insects, leather, paper, even cobwebs. Especially during extensions or renovations, they are driven out of their hiding spots and are then noticeable due to their abundance in living spaces. Even if the material damage is usually limited, the beetles can then be a nuisance to the house residents.
The female lays around a hundred eggs, the larvae feed on all kinds of vegetable waste such as grain, flour, herbal tea or animal food such as bath sponges, hides, excrement or fish meal. The larva pupates in a cocoon, where it hatches after 18 days. Overall, the overall development from the egg to the appearance of the beetle takes a good four months.
