Blade runner

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Blade runner
1, 2 blade runners

1, 2 blade runners

Systematics
Superclass : Six-footed (Hexapoda)
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Beetle (Coleoptera)
Family : Ground beetle (Carabidae)
Subfamily : Carabinae
Genre : Blade runner
Scientific name
Cychrus
Fabricius , 1794
Mouthparts Cychrus spinicollis , right partially colored: blue: upper jaw, partially covered by green: upper lip; red: jaw button; yellow: lip switch
Larva of Cychrus caraboides according to Reitter

The shovel runners ( Cychrus ) represent a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae). They are mostly black, unmistakable beetles with a body size of 12 to 20 millimeters. 14 species of this genus live in Europe, two of which can also be found in Germany.

features

The most striking feature of the paddle runners is the elongated head with the toothed mandibles reaching far forward (cychroid head shape). Then there are the end links of the jaw buttons, which are widened like a shovel and which gave the beetle its German name. The black elytra are arched up and encompass part of the abdomen downwards, where they cover the tracheal openings . Further identification features are the four bald basic antenna elements.

The shovel runners are specialized snail-eaters who primarily hunt shell snails and slugs, but also earthworms . The head and the mandibles are elongated for this purpose and the covering of the breathing openings by the wing covers serves as protection against the mucus that would otherwise stick the spiracles. All shovel runners can emit chirping noises in case of danger ( stridulation ), which are caused by the last abdominal segments rubbing against the wing covers.

species

14 species of the genus Cychrus live in Europe , two of which can be found in Germany and four more in Central Europe.

Selection of other types:

receipt

  1. ↑ probably named after the great demigod Κυχρεύς ( Kychreus ), who freed the island of Salamis from a giant snake (Fabricius' allusion to nudibranch ( Arion ) or earthworm?) [Pape 1880, Gr.-Wb .: proper names].

literature

  • Arndt E (1991): Family Carabidae ; in Klausnitzer B (Ed.): The larvae of the beetles of Central Europe 1, Adephaga ; Goecke & Evers Krefeld
  • German Youth Association for Nature Observation (DJN): ground beetles . Identification key for all genres, 4th edition, 2006 ISBN 978-3-923376-18-9
  • Joy H (1976): Adephaga, 1. Carabidae ; in Joy H, Harde KW, Lohse GA (Ed.): Die Käfer Mitteleuropas, Volume 2 ; Goecke & Evers Krefeld, 1 - 302
  • Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung, Jarmila Hoberlandtova, Ivan Zpevak: Beetles of Central and Northwestern Europe , Parey Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1
  • Ekkehard Wachmann , Ralph Platen, Dieter Barndt: Ground beetles - observation, way of life , Naturbuch-Verlag Augsburg, 1995, ISBN 3-89440-125-7

Scientific literature

  • Claridge MF (1974): Stridulation and defensive behavior in the Gor and Beetle Cychrus caraboides (L.) ; Journal of Entomology (A) 49 , 7-15