Prostomis mandibularis

Shovel beetles Prostomis mandibular

The blade beetles or detail blade beetle, also called Great tooth grain beetle, ( Prostomis mandibular ) is a beetle from the small family Prostomidae. The genus includes 28 species Prostomis, of which only Prostomis mandibular is to be found in Europe worldwide.

In the Red List of endangered species in Germany the species under Category 1 ( threatened with extinction ) is performed.

Remarks about the name

The name is used for the beetle beetle Cucujidae family who are usually very flat and to which the blade beetle was expected earlier.

The species was first described in 1801 by Fabricius under the name Trogosita mandibular. Fabricius begins its brief description with Trogosita mandibulis porrectis ... (lat. a Trogosita with extended mandibles ... ). The species name mandibular states that the construction of the two upper jaw ( mandibles ) shows features that distinguish the beetle over others. This beetle mandibles are broadened far stretched and arched forward, which has the animal entered Scoop the German part of the name. The name part of Great tooth can be attributed to a further characteristic of the physique. The cheeks are extended forward on either side of the chin to a tusk -like outgrowth, the swinging extends below the upper jaw (Fig. 5 right green ).

The extraordinary size of the upper jaw, along with other characteristics, has brought Latreille in 1829 to take the types with this property from the genus Trogosita out and make Prostomis in the new class. Today the genus own family Prostomidae is assigned. The genus name is Prostomis AltGr. πρó " pro" " forward " and στόμα " stoma " of "mouth" is derived and indicates that, the upper jaw project forwardly.

Body of the beetle

The plate beetle has roughly parallel sides, approaching slowly backwards. He is solid glossy yellow-brown and is five to six millimeters long.

The pre-stretched in the direction of axis of the body head is flat, without the upper jaw is wider than long, even wider than the rest of the body. At the apex it is furrowed transversely. He is dotted fine and sparse. The upper jaw are more densely punctured and slightly longer than the head. They lie next to each other and complement each other to an oval dish. Along the straight inner edge they are saw- denticulate. The upper lip is small and rounded front. The pine probe (Fig. 5, right tinted blue ), four - lip tripartite button. Your final link is tapered oblong, truncate the top. The small eyes are prominent. The eleven-membered sensors are stretched and hairy and end in a weakly developed tripartite lobe. You do not reach the posterior margin of the pronotum. The monstrous head ventral appendages are like a lyre swinging (Fig. 5 right green ). Significant gender differences are not determine the biological significance of the projections is unknown.

The red-brown pronotum is nearly square, its sides are not folded. He wears a poorly -educated middle furrow. Which corresponds to the puncturing of the head.

The elytra are bald and wear rows of dots. They are slightly wider than the neck to the base plate and gradually narrower towards the rear. At the shoulder springs a leak backward- Humeralfalte.

The legs are oriented laterally, Front and Central hips are widely separated. The tarsi are all four members.

Way of life

The species is a jungle relic. It develops in rotfaulem wood, mainly of oaks and other hardwoods, rare in conifers on the trunk or stump. The beetles often remain at between fungus- infected annual rings. They are found in forests urständigen or their remains.

Dissemination

The species is widespread Palaearctic and nearktisch.