Chalcopteroides

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Chalcopteroides
Chalcopteroides species DC2.jpg
Scientific classification
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Chalcopteroides

Strand, 1935
Species

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Chalcopteroides is a genus of darkling beetle, defined by Embrik Strand in 1935, and replacing the older name Chalcopterus which was preoccupied. The type species is Chalcopterus iridicolor. [1] The genus occurs throughout Australia. [2]

Contents

Description

Chalcopteroides range from 6 to 23 mm in length. They are oblong in shape, glabrous and usually a metallic blue or green colour. The mandibles lack a sulcus and have either truncate or rounded apices. The lateral margins of the pronotum are complete. The elytra usually have only superficial and minute punctures (sometimes they have impressed striae). The metaventrite is long. The tarsal vestiture (hairs on the tarsi) is mostly black. [3]

Ecology

Some Chalcopteroides are known to live in soil. Additionally, arthropod fragments have been found in guts of some species, suggesting a scavenging or predatory lifestyle. [4] [5]

Species

Below are the species of this genus: [6]

References

  1. "Genus Chalcopteroides Strand, 1935". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  2. "Chalcopteroides Strand, 1935". www.gbif.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  3. Matthews, E. G.; Lawrence, J. F. (2019). "36. Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802". In Ślipiński, A.; Lawrence, J. F. (eds.). Australian Beetles. Clayton South, VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN   978-0-643-09728-5. OCLC   1238131004.
  4. Watt, J. Charles (1989). "The Identity of Two Fabrician Species of Amarygmini (Coleoptera. Tenebrionidae) from Australia with a Key to Species Groups and Some Species of Chalcopteroides Strand1". Australian Journal of Entomology. 28 (2): 115–123. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1989.tb01207.x . ISSN   1326-6756.
  5. Lawrence, J.; Slipinski, A. (2018). "Another mystery larva: Larval scavenging in the Amarygmini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tenebrioninae)". Australian Entomologist. 45 (4): 489–497.
  6. "Australian Faunal Directory". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 2023-09-26.