Two-spot criss-cross
| Two-spot criss-cross | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two-spot crusaders ( Panagaeus bipustulatus ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Panagaeus bipustulatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Fabricius , 1775) |
The two-spotted crusader ( Panagaeus bipustulatus ) is a beetle from the family of ground beetles (Carabidae). There are two very similar species of the genus Panagaeus in Central Europe , but they differ significantly in their ecological demands.
|
 |
| Fig. 1: side view | |
|
|
| Fig. 2: Front view | Fig. 3: A P. bipustulatus B: P. cruxmajor |
features
The beetles reach a body length of 6.5 to 8 millimeters. They have a black basic body color and dense, fine hair. Their pronotum is very irregularly structured and somewhat narrower than that of the very similar swamp crusader ( Panagaeus cruxmajor ). There are two broad red spots on each of the black wings ( elytra ). A black cross is formed between the spots due to the black wing cover seam . Unlike the similar species, the spots closer to the wing tips do not touch the edge of the wing. The antennae are dark, except for the last links, which are brown-red in color.
Similar species
- Swamp crusader ( Panagaeus cruxmajor )
Occurrence and way of life
The animals come from the north of southern Europe to the south of northern Europe . In the east, it is distributed across the Caucasus to Iran . Unlike P. cruxmajor , the two-spotted crusader colonizes warm and dry locations such as semi- arid grasslands , quarries and dry slopes. Humid areas are only inhabited in higher elevations. The adults hibernate. Like all species of the Panagaeinae subfamily, they can give off an unpleasant odor when in danger.
literature
- Ekkehard Wachmann , Ralph Platen, Dieter Barndt: Ground beetles - observation, way of life. Naturbuch-Verlag Augsburg, 1995, ISBN 3-894-40125-7