Valgus hemipterus

Valgus hemipterus is a smallish species of scarab beetle (family Scarabaeidae) found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Valgus hemipterus
Valgus hemipterus. Male
Female, showing the acuminate telson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:
Cetoniinae
Genus:
Valgus
Species:
V. hemipterus
Binomial name
Valgus hemipterus
Synonyms
  • Scarabaeus hemipterus Linnaeus, 1758

Subspecies

Subspecies include:[1]

  • Valgus hemipterus hemipterus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Valgus hemipterus meridionalis Rössner, 2014

Distribution

This species occurs from the Caucasus and Turkey to North Africa and southern and central Europe (Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Turkey, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of North Macedonia, Northwest European Russia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South European Russia, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Yugoslavia).

The species has been introduced to the Nearctic realm,[2] in parts of North America, especially Ontario, Michigan and Ohio.

Description

This species reaches a body length of 6–10 mm.[3] The basic color is black or dark brown. The scales on the body of the male are dark brown with a light pattern, while most scales in females are dark. Pronotum is rather serrate along lateral edges, a transverse medial ridges is not well developed and basal margin is quite rounded.[4] The elytrae are shortened and do not cover the entire body. Pronotum and elytra show patches of light-colored setae.[4]

Females bear a striking long acuminate telson - unusual fact in Coleoptera - with a central groove near apex and irregular lateral serrations, which makes them easily distinguishable from the males. In addition, The males have a different drawing than the females.[3]

Biology

These beetles, which can be found from May to June[3] on flowers or wood, are relatively common. The species has one generation (univoltine) and hibernates as a pupa.[3]

Adult females usually oviposit to moist, rotting wood ad use their acuminate telson to create the site of oviposition.[4] The larvae live in the soil[3] and feed on dead wood of birch and other trees.

  • Mounted specimen of a male.
  • Female, from different angles
  • Detail of female telson

Bibliography
  • Harde, Severa: Der Kosmos Käferführer, Die mitteleuropäischen Käfer, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-06959-1 (German)
  • Möller, G., Schneider, M. (1991): Kommentierte Liste ausgewählter Familien überwiegend holzbewohnender Käfer von Berlin-West mit Ausweisung der gefährdeten Arten (Rote Liste). In: Auhagen, A., Platen, R., Sukopp, H. (Hrsg.): Rote Listen gefährdeter Pflanzen und Tiere in Berlin. - Landschaftsentwicklung und Umweltforschung, Sonderheft 6, 1991: S. 373-420. (German)
  • Jiři Zahradník, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al.: Käfer Mittel- und Nordwesteuropas, Parey Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1 (German)

References
  1. Biolib
  2. Fauna Europaea
  3. Insektenbox (in German)
  4. Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles
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