Black mold beetle

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Black mold beetle
Black mold beetle (Ocypus olens)

Black mold beetle ( Ocypus olens )

Systematics
Order : Beetle (Coleoptera)
Subordination : Polyphaga
Family : Kurzflügler (Staphylinidae)
Subfamily : Staphylininae
Genre : Ocypus
Type : Black mold beetle
Scientific name
Ocypus olens
( Müller , 1764)
Larva attacking an earthworm

The black mold beetle ( Ocypus olens ) is a beetle from the family of the raven-winged beetles (Staphylinidae).

features

Black mold beetles are 22 to 32 millimeters in length and are the largest short-winged species in Central Europe. The beetle is completely matt black in color, the body is very densely structured and has black hairs. The rear edge of the fifth exposed abdomen segment has a fine pale skin border on the upper side. The rails ( tibia ) of the front legs have thorns on the outer edge in front of the tip. The membranous wings (alae) are developed.

Similar species

A similar species is the dark predator beetle ( Ocypus tenebricosus ), whose pronotum is longer than the wings at the seam. The species is also wingless. One can confuse the species with other species of the genus Ocypus , but these are all smaller.

Synonyms

  • Ocypus fulvopilosus Fiori, 1894
  • Goerius macrocephalus Stephens, 1832 (homonym)
  • Staphylinus major De Geer, 1774
  • Ocypus meridionalis Fiori, 1894
  • Staphylinus unicolor autumn, 1784

Occurrence and habitat

The beetles are widespread in Europe. They occur in different habitats, but preferentially in moist forests and their edges and floodplains, but also in gardens, on heaths and sometimes on dry slopes. They live there under dead wood, stones, in the litter and on paths.

Way of life

The black mold beetles feed predatory. When danger threatens, the animals spread their mandibles, with which they can bite hard, and stretch their abdomen forwards, which serves to intimidate the attacker. With their white sac-shaped defensive glands at the end of the abdomen, they can also secrete a foul-smelling secretion. The main component in this secretion is an iridodial , a rapidly polymerizing monocyclic mono terpene with two aldehyde groups , which belongs to the group of iridoids . The larvae lead a similar way of life as the adult beetles.

High abdomen for intimidation

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al .: Käfer Central and Northwestern Europe , Parey Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1
  2. ↑ a b c d e Ocypus (Ocypus) olens (O. Müller 1764). Fauna Europaea, Version 1.3, April 19, 2007 , accessed on June 18, 2007 .
  3. ↑ Angel Huth & Konrad Dettner (1990): Defense chemicals from abdominal glands of 13 rove beetle species of subtribe Staphylinina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Staphylininae). Journal of Chemical Ecology 16, pages 2691-2711. doi : 10.1007 / BF00988079

literature

  • Karl Wilhelm Harde, Frantisek Severa and Edwin Möhn: The Kosmos Käferführer: The Central European Beetles. Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co KG, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-06959-1 .
  • Georg Möller, Reiner Grube, Ekkehard Wachmann : The Fauna Käferführer I - Beetles in and on the forest Fauna-Verlag, Nottuln 2006, ISBN 3-935980-25-6 .
  • Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al .: Käfer Central and Northwestern Europe , Parey Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1 .

Web links

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