Attagenus punctatus

Attagenus punctatus, females

Attagenus punctatus is a beetle of the family of skin beetles. The species name " punctatus " (Latin ) means punctured and refers to the white spots on pronotum and elytra. The genus name Attagenus AltGr. ατταγήν attagēn, hazel grouse. The genus is represented in Europe with 44 species. The beetle reaches a length of 3.5 to 5.5 millimeters.

Characteristics of the beetle

Said body is curved and elongated oval in cross section. He is black and because of the fine hairs halbabstehenden little shiny. Tarsi and antennal segments are sometimes brighter. Pronotum and elytra are covered with numerous patches of white scales hair. The spots can be very distinctive, however, in older specimens due to wear and become indistinct. Usually there is ever a spot in the back corner of the pronotum, five spots are parallel in series with the elytra seam and further patches are about the same densely distributed on the sides of the elytra. Some descriptors gave the beetle and the epithet " vigintipunctata ", ie 20 lines.

The head pointing downward. He is not feeding on the bottom in the pronotum, but free. The sensors are elfgliedrig, the last three members form a club. In the males, the last antennal segment is only slightly larger than the previous two antennal segments together, the females were significantly shorter (Fig. 1 and 2). In addition to the rounded compound eyes located on the forehead still a button- shaped ocellus. The pine buttons are four members, the labial palpi tripartite.

The pronotum is bell-shaped, its base is doppelbogig. The pronotum margin is completely folded.

The front hips protrude like a plug out of the front chest. They do not touch. The rear hips have a longitudinal recess in the rear legs can be inserted. The tarsi are all five-membered.

Fig.2: female

Biology

The larva develops in hollow trees, which are exposed to the sun. They eat there probably from the remains of dead insects. The beetles feed on pollen and are from April to July on flowering shrubs in deciduous forests, gardens and parks, especially hawthorn encountered. There also the mating takes place.

The life cycle usually lasts one year, but may under unfavorable conditions also extend to two years. It hibernate both larvae and adult beetles. Pupation takes place after the fifth moult in August, the imago emerges about 20 days later.

Dissemination

The species is distributed from southern Europe to southern Northern Europe, but usually rare. In Central Europe it is widespread in the south and center, in the north it is rare and lacks regional basis. To the east the area of ​​distribution to the Caucasus expands.