Aaata

Aaata FinChi

Aaata FinChi is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is the largest known jewel beetles of the Palaearctic region, and possibly the world.

Features

Aaata FinChi is uniformly brown in color and reaches a body length of 70 mm and more. The body surface, except for elevations of the surface sculpture, covered with a fine, white sand felt-like hairs. The neck plate has a longitudinal impression in the middle and on the sides each have a raised, smooth, curved line and a number of spot-like elevations. The elytra are wrinkled with smooth and shiny, raised wrinkles, but do not form a specific pattern.

Dissemination

The distribution of this rare species is in Baluchistan, a desert region in the southeast of Iran, which extends partially to Pakistan and Afghanistan. As locality is mentioned in the first description Karachi.

System

The species is closely related to the genus Julodis and was initially described as Julodis FinChi, named after B. Finch, who gave the first known specimen of the London Zoological Society. Of the species of the genus Julodis to Aaata FinChi differs mainly by the size of seven inches and more ( as opposed to two to four centimeters ) so that it was placed in its own genus of Semenov 1906. The name of this previously monotypic genus is a curiosity by the triple vowel and one of the very first genus name of the animal kingdom in the alphabet. However, it is also grammatically correct - ( gr ) aaatos occurs, for example in Homer, it means " sacred, inviolable, divine pure". The feminine form probably tracing the family of Buprestis.

Market value

In trade with preserved insects ( the scientific working entomologists usually very critical of ) one Aaata FinChi to the coveted rarities. With top rates of several hundred euros for a copy of it is one of the most expensive traded jewel beetle species.