Anoplotrupes stercorosus

Anoplotrupes stercorosus
Anoplotrupes stercorosus, upperside
Side view
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Geotrupidae
Genus: Anoplotrupes
Species: A. stercorosus
Binomial name
Anoplotrupes stercorosus
(Hartmann in L. G. Scriba, 1791)
Synonyms

Anoplotrupes stercorosus, common name dor beetle, is a species of earth-boring dung beetles belonging to the family Geotrupidae subfamily Geotrupinae.

Varietas

Varietas within this specuies include:[1]

  • Anoplotrupes stercorosus var. viridis (Dalla Torre, 1879)
  • Anoplotrupes stercorosus var. amoethystinus (Mulsant, 1842)
  • Anoplotrupes stercorosus var. nigrinus (Mulsant, 1842)
  • Anoplotrupes stercorosus ab. juvenilis (Mulsant, 1842)

Distribution

This beetle is present throughout Europe (Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Corsica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom).[2]

Habitat

These beetles inhabit fresh areas of broadleaves forests, mainly in beech forests, in moist mixed forest and in fresh coniferous forests.[3][4]

Description

The adults of Anoplotrupes stercorosus grow up to 12–20 millimetres (0.47–0.79 in) long [3][5] and therefore they do not reach the length of the very similar common dung beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius). The body colour is blue-black, while the underside is usually metallic blue. The elytra have seven longitudinal slightly dotted grooves. The wings may be blue, violet or green. Antennae are reddish brown. The very similar to Geotrupes stercorarius presents three keels on the outer side of the tibia of the 3rd pair of legs, while Anoplotrupes stercorosus presents only two keels.

Biology

Adults can be encountered from June through the following spring.[3] This dung beetle feeds on feces, rotting fungi and tree lymph of the host-plants. In spring they lay eggs in chambers at the end of a corridor that is approximately 70–80 centimetres (28–31 in) long and built in the soil, where feces of herbivorous and omnivorous animals are placed in to feed the larvae. They may also feed on molded litter, decomposing fungi and Phallus impudicus.[3] The larvae overwinter and pupate in spring, requiring a year to complete the whole process.[3]

Bibliography

  • Anderson, R., Nash, R. & O'Connor, J. P. 1997, Irish Coleoptera: a revised and annotated list, Irish Naturalists' Journal Special Entomological Supplement, 1-81
  • Joy, N. H., 1932, A practical handbook of British beetles, H. F. & G. Witherby, London
  • Jessop, L., 1986, Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea. Dung beetles and chafers
  • Mann, D., 2002, Geotrupidae in: Checklist of Beetles of the British Isles. www.coleopterist.org.uk
  • Mulsant E. (1842) Histoire naturelle des Coléoptères de France. Lamellicornes, Paris, Lyon :1-623
  • Scriba L.G. (1791) Entomologische Bemerkungen und Erfahrungen, Journal für die Liebhaber der Entomologie. Frankfurt 1(3):244-255

References

  1. ↑ Biolib
  2. ↑ Fauna europaea
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Commanster
  4. ↑ Adam Byk, Piotr Semkiw. Habitat preferences of the forest dung beetle Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Scriba, 1791) (Coleoptera:Geotrupinae) in Białowieża Forest. Acta Sci. Pol. Silv. Colendar. Rat. Ind. Lig nar. 9 (3-4), s. 17-28, 2010.
  5. ↑ Atlas of Geotrupidae of Russia
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