Cantharis

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Cantharis
Soldier beetle (Cantharis fusca) mating P.jpg
Cantharis fusca mating
Kampinos Forest, Poland
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Family: Cantharidae
Subfamily: Cantharinae
Tribe: Cantharini
Genus: Cantharis
Linnaeus, 1758

Cantharis is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae. They are a carnivorous genus with narrow and soft elytra. They live in meadows.

Contents

The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name Cantharis vesicatoria . It is also sometimes called "cantharis" in the vernacular, but it is actually unrelated to Cantharis and is not a member of the Cantharidae at all. It was classified there erroneously until Johan Christian Fabricius corrected its name in his Systema entomologiae in 1775. He reclassified the Spanish fly in the new genus Lytta as Lytta vesicatoria . It belongs to the family Meloidae. [1]

Habitat

They live in meadows and arable land likely due to favorable microclimatic conditions for their larva which prefer high relative humidity. They occurred in high abundance. [2]

Behavior

Both the adults and larva of this genus are, at least, partially carnivorous playing a role in arthropod communities. [2] They will prey on a variety of invertebrates, particularly soft-bodied species, such as earthworms, dipteran larvae and lepidopteran larvae. However their predation on invertebrates might be low under natural conditions with adults probably feeding mainly on nectar, pollen and honeydew. [3]

They can also serve as natural pest control for agriculture due to their high abundance and general carnivory. [2]

Species

Subgenus Cantharis

Cantharis decipiens Cantharis decipiens.jpg
Cantharis decipiens
Cantharis lateralis Cantharis lateralis (2007-06-12).jpg
Cantharis lateralis
Cantharis livida Cantharis livida var rufipes 01 05252009.jpg
Cantharis livida
Cantharis pellucida Soldier beetle (Cantharis pellucida).jpg
Cantharis pellucida
Cantharis rustica Soldier beetle (Cantharis rustica).jpg
Cantharis rustica

Subgenus Cyrtomoptila

See also

References and notes

  1. ↑ Selander, R. B. (1991). On the nomenclature and classification of Meloidae (Coleoptera). Insecta Mundi 5(2): 65–94.
  2. 1 2 3 Traugott, Michael (2006-04-01). "Habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult Cantharis beetles in arable land". European Journal of Soil Biology. 42 (2): 82–88. Bibcode:2006EJSB...42...82T. doi:10.1016/j.ejsobi.2005.10.001. ISSN   1164-5563.
  3. ↑ Traugott, Michael (2003-01-01). "The prey spectrum of larval and adult Cantharis species in arable land: An electrophoretic approach". Pedobiologia. 47 (2): 161–169. Bibcode:2003Pedob..47..161T. doi:10.1078/0031-4056-00179. ISSN   0031-4056.
  4. ↑ Fanti, Fabrizio (2025-12-30). "Three new soldier beetles from Baltic and Rovno amber". Baltic Journal of Coleopterology. 25 (2): 207–216. ISSN   1407-8619.

Further reading


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