Prosternon tessellatum
Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Suborder:
Polyphaga
Family:
Elateridae
Genus:
Prosternon
Species:
P. tessellatum
Binomial name
Prosternon tessellatum
(Linnaeus, 1758) [1]

Prosternon tessellatum, the chequered click beetle, is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae.

Distribution

This species is widespread in Europe, in Asia, and in the Nearctic realm.[2][3]

Habitat

These beetles inhabit mountain areas, coniferous forests, dry forest edges and forest meadows, but also heathland, moors, dunes and gardens.

Mounted specimen

Description

Prosternon tessellatum can reach a body length of approximately 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). These beetles have a hairiness blackish-brown pronotum and striped elytra, with paler silk-hairy gray-yellow to gold-shining stains.

They are rather similar to Agrypnus murinus, that is smaller.

Biology

Adults can be found from May to early August, feeding on flowers, shrubs and low vegetation.[4]

Larvae of this species live in tree stumps of conifers and in humus. They are predators and destroy cocoons of pine-tree lappet (Dendrolimus pini) and pine sawfly (Neodiprion).

References

Wikispecies has information related to Prosternon tessellatum.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prosternon tessellatum.
  1. ↑ Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio Decima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm
  2. ↑ Fauna Europaea
  3. ↑ Norman H. Joy, , 1932 A Practical Handbook of British Beetles
  4. ↑ Inaturalist


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