Shore fledglings
| Shore fledglings | ||||||||||||
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Shore fledglings ( Paederus littoralis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Paederus littoralis | ||||||||||||
| Gravenhorst , 1802 |
The river rhododendron ( Paederus littoralis ), also known as the common riverbank robber , is a species of the rump winged family .
features
The beetles are about eight millimeters long (from 7.5 to 8.5 millimeters). Belonging to the genus Paederus can be easily recognized by the characteristic coloration: the head is black, the pronotum , which is round when viewed from above, is red. This is followed by the very short wing coverts , which have a metallic, dark blue sheen and are slightly granulated. The first four visible abdominal rings are red again, while the rear end of the abdomen is black again. The legs are yellow, the tips of the thighs and sometimes the outer tarsi are blackened. The antennae are yellow, fuzzy and indistinctly darkened towards the tip. They are distinguishable from other species of the genus (in Central Europe) by the following features: The elytra are very short, significantly shorter than the pronotum, and not extended backwards. The pronotum is clearly bordered on the sides. For a reliable identification of the species it is necessary to examine the shape of the male's aedeagus (only visible after dissection).
Taxonomy
The genus Paederus comprises more than 600 species, 13 of which are found in Europe. The taxonomic classification of the extensive genus is difficult and different, sometimes contradicting systems have been established by different researchers. Paederus littoralis belongs to the subgenus Dioncopaederus according to the systematics of the entomologist Otto Scheerpeltz , which is mainly based on the form of the male's aedeagus .
Subspecies
- Paederus littoralis littoralis Gravenhorst, 1802
- Paederus littoralis ilsae Bernhauer, 1932
Most researchers consider the subspecies Paederus littoralis ilsae to be a separate species, Paederus ilsae , as suggested in the original description by Max Bernhauer. According to recent research, the name is a synonym for Paederus fuscipes Curtis.
Synonyms
The Fauna Europaea lists the following synonyms :
- Paederus confinis Zetterstedt, 1838
- Paederus finisterrae Illiger, 1807
- Paederus geniculatus Peyron, 1858 ( homonym )
- Paederus moses Saulcy, 1864
- Paederus strictus Baudi, 1869
- Paederus vulgaris Miller 1853
- Poederomorphus pedoncularius Gautier des Cottes, 1862
Occurrence
The animals are widespread in southern and central Europe, it occurs east to west Siberia. From Africa the species is only known from Algeria. In the southeast, its distribution reaches Cyprus, Turkey and Iran. They are often found on the banks of water and on wet meadows, especially on clay soil. Especially in the north of their range, they are also found in dry and warm biotopes.
Way of life
The diurnal animals run around nimbly in the area while they hunt very small snails and insect larvae. Vegetable food is also used. When they run, they stretch their abdomen upwards. When in danger, the animals spread their jaws and stretch their abdomen forward to intimidate the enemy. But they are also able to squirt a corrosive liquid from the pygidial glands at the end of the abdomen. The larvae live on the banks of water under parts of plants, where they hunt for small animals. After two larval stages, the animals pupate in the ground. The finished beetle hatches from the pupa .
Medical importance
Like other species in the genus, this species can cause inflammatory dermatitis . The poisonous hemolymph of the animals, which contains the poison pederin , which belongs to the amides , causes severe skin irritation. If it gets in the eyes, it can cause temporary blindness. This is especially a problem when the animals are crushed, which happens especially at night when they fly into human homes on warm nights, attracted by light. Damage is a problem especially in warmer countries.
credentials
- ↑ Paederus determination table in: The Beetles of Europe, by Arved Lompe. created on June 15, 2009.
- ^ JH Frank (1988): Paederus, sensu lato (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): An Index and Review of the Taxa. Insecta Mundi Paper 483. download
- ↑ Paederus (Poederomorphus) littoralis ilsae Bernhauer 1932. Fauna Europaea, Version 1.3, April 19, 2007 , accessed on June 18, 2007 .
- ↑ Paederus (Poederomorphus) littoralis littoralis Gravenhorst 1802. Fauna Europaea, Version 1.3, April 19, 2007 , accessed on June 18, 2007 .
- ↑ a b Sahar Bazrafkan, Hassan Vatandoost, Abbas Heydari, Hassan Bakhshi, Somayeh Panahi-Moghadam, Saedeh Hashemi-Aghdam, Fatemeh Mohtarami, Abbas Rahimiforous, Sinan Anlaş, Mansoreh Shayeghi, Mohammad Ali Oshagii, Seyed of Mohammad Paederus fuscipes and Paederus littoralis by mtDNA-COI PCR-RFLP. Journal of Arrthropod-Borne Diseases, online before print. download
- ↑ a b c d e f g Paederus (Poederomorphus) littoralis Gravenhorst 1802. Fauna Europaea, Version 1.3, April 19, 2007 , accessed on June 18, 2007 .
- ↑ Mahmood R. Nikbakhtzadeh, Mehdi Naderi, Tarbiat Modares, Parivash Safa (2012): Faunal diversity of Paederus Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Iran. Insecta Mundi. Paper 779. download
- ↑ JH Frank, K. Kanamitsu (1987): Paederus, Sensu Lato (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): Natural History and Medical Importance. Journal of Medical Entomology 24 (2): 155-191.
