Trichodes apiarius

Trichodes apiarius is a beetle species of checkered beetles belonging to the family Cleridae, subfamily Clerinae.

Trichodes apiarius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Cleridae
Genus:
Trichodes
Species:
T. apiarius
Binomial name
Trichodes apiarius
Synonyms
  • Trichodes angusticollis Pic, 1902
  • Trichodes apicita Spinola, 1844
  • Trichodes apivore Walckenaer, 1802
  • Trichodes corallinus Ménétriés, 1832
  • Trichodes crassipedarius Chevrolat, 1876
  • Trichodes elegans Spinola, 1844
  • Trichodes georgianus Chevrolat, 1874
  • Trichodes pannonicus Spinola, 1844
  • Trichodes suturalis Trella, 1924
  • Trichodes suturifer Corporaal, 1932

These beetles are found in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, and in North Africa.[1]

It is an hairy small beetle with shining blue or black head and scutellum. The elongated elytra show a bright red colour with black bands. This species can easily be distinguished from Trichodes alvearius for the black terminal band reaching the apex of elytra.

At the larval stage, these beetles are parasites of bees (hence the name “apiarius”), as the adults lay the eggs in the nests of solitary bees (Osmia and Megachile species) or in hives of honey bees, eating larvae and nymphs of their victims.

The adults grow up to 9–16 millimetres (0.35–0.63 in) and can be encountered from May through June on the flowers, mainly Apiaceae, feeding on the pollen. However, they integrate their diet with small insects that they actively hunt.

References
  1. "Trichodes alvearius (Fabricius, 1792)". 2.6.2. Fauna Europaea. August 29, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.