Triungulinus

Triungulinus of the violet oil beetle ( Meloe violaceus ) on a sand bee of the species Andrena nigroaenea

Triungulinus (three claws) describes the peculiar first larval stage of the oil beetle in zoology . These larvae are often found in flowers. There they wait for bees to cling to in order to be carried into the bee's nest ( phoresy ). To do this, they use their specially trained legs, each with three strong foot claws. The namesake of this larval form was Léon Dufour . In 1828 he described the Triungulinus as a separate genus of the then order Parasita . It was only later found out that these were the larvae of an already known beetle family.

Other insects also have similar initial larval stages in terms of shape and behavior, which often have more or less than three foot claws, but are usually also referred to as triungulins or triungulinoids . Examples include the closely related with the oil beetles subjects beetle (Rhipiphoridae), the beetle telephone-pole beetle , as well as some species of the flies belonging Wollschweber and Fächerflügler (Strepsiptera).

literature

• Stefan von Kéler : Entomological dictionary. Akademie-Verlag Berlin, 1963