Agra (genus)

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Agra
Agra grace.jpg
Agra grace
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Tribe: Lebiini
Genus: Agra
Fabricius, 1801

Agra is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, the ground beetles. There are over 500 described species, but there are well over 1000 specimens in collections that have not yet been described. [1] The common name elegant canopy beetles has been used for genus Agra. [1]

Beetles of this genus have narrow heads and long, constricted necks. The tarsomeres, or the "feet" of the beetle, are wide and equipped with pads, allowing the beetle to grip leaves as it moves about and rests on plants. Females have "telescopic" reproductive organs, which they use to deposit eggs deep in the substrate. [1]

Adults of some species are probably predators of other arthropods. Some have also been seen drinking sap and eating pollen. Adult beetles are nocturnal and attracted to lights. They rest on the undersides of leaves with their bodies aligned along the midrib, legs and antennae tucked in. The larvae develop in burrows and under tree bark, and are likely predatory. [1]

Adult beetles have anti-predator secretions that are offensive to predators; they have been noted to repel bats. [1]

Species include: [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pterostichus</i> Genus of beetles

Pterostichus is a very large genus of ground beetles with a Holarctic distribution in the subfamily Harpalinae. It has over 1,100 species. The beetles are predatory, but sometimes feed on strawberries. They can be found under rocks and prefer slightly moist, sandy soil although preferences differ between species. Pterostichus contains the following species:

<i>Brachinus</i> genus of insects

Brachinus is a genus of ground beetle native to the Nearctic, Palearctic, the Near East and North Africa. Beetles in this genus are commonly referred to as bombardier beetles. The genus contains the following species:

<i>Lebia</i> Genus of beetles

Lebia is a genus of predatory ground beetles. Common names include colorful foliage ground beetles and flat ground beetles. They are found worldwide and there over 700 species in 17 subgenera.

Ctenostoma is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Ctenodactyla is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

<i>Galerita</i> Genus of beetles

Galerita is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

<i>Zuphium</i> Genus of beetles

Zuphium is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Lebiinae Subfamily of beetles

Lebiinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Carabidae.

Calophaena is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Tetragonoderus is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

<i>Catascopus</i> Genus of beetles

Catascopus is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Pentagonica is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Platyninae Subfamily of beetles

Platyninae is a subfamily of ground beetles. Occasionally it was treated as a tribe Platynini of subfamily Harpalinae, particularly when this was circumscribed loosely.

Pterostichinae Subfamily of beetles

Pterostichinae is a subfamily of ground beetles. It belongs to the advanced harpaline assemblage, and if these are circumscribed sensu lato as a single subfamily, Pterostichinae are downranked to a tribe Pterostichini. However, as the former Pterostichitae supertribe of the Harpalinae as loosely circumscribed does seem to constitute a lineage rather distinct from Harpalus, its core group is here considered to be the present subfamily and the Harpalinae are defined more narrowly.

<i>Abacetus</i> Genus of beetles

Abacetus is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, distributed across Africa, Asia and Australia, with a single European species. It contains the following species:

Caelostomus is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Metius is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae, containing the following species:

Trechinae Subfamily of beetles

Trechinae is a subfamily in the ground beetle family, Carabidae.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Erwin, Terry L. (2010). "Agra, arboreal beetles of Neotropical forests: pusilla group and piranha group systematics and notes on their ways of life (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina)". ZooKeys (66): 1–28. doi:10.3897/zookeys.66.684. PMC   3088417 . PMID   21594029.
  2. "Agra Fabricius, 1801". Carabidae of the World. 2011. Retrieved 6 Jul 2011.