Lacon punctatus | |
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Lacon punctatus | |
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Species: | L. punctatus |
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Lacon punctatus (Herbst, 1779) | |
Lacon punctatus is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae.
Lacon punctatuss can reach a length of 13–21 millimetres (0.51–0.83 in). Body is black and flat, covered with hair and with small white spots (hence the Latin name punctatus) caused by white scales. Both adults and larvae can be found in the old fallen logs and under bark of decaying trees, with a preference for conifers, especially Pinus species. Apparently these beetles often coexist with ants. Adults are nocturnal and are present throughout the year.
The larvae are cylindrical and elongated, with three pairs of legs. They have the forepart of the body reddish brown, strongly sclerotized, while the abdomen is white and fleshy. They are active predators feeding on larvae and nymphs of many different other insects living in rotten wood (mainly larvae of Stictoleptura rubra ).
This species can be found in the Mediterranean countries, in Central Europe, the Caucasus, Crimea, in the Near East and in North Africa.
Elateridae or click beetles are a family of beetles. Other names include elaters, snapping beetles, spring beetles or skipjacks. This family was defined by William Elford Leach (1790–1836) in 1815. They are a cosmopolitan beetle family characterized by the unusual click mechanism they possess. There are a few other families of Elateroidea in which a few members have the same mechanism, but most elaterid subfamilies can click. A spine on the prosternum can be snapped into a corresponding notch on the mesosternum, producing a violent "click" that can bounce the beetle into the air. Clicking is mainly used to avoid predation, although it is also useful when the beetle is on its back and needs to right itself. There are about 9300 known species worldwide, and 965 valid species in North America.
Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include the European common glow-worm and other members of the Lampyridae, but bioluminescence also occurs in the families Elateridae, Phengodidae and Rhagophthalmidae among beetles; as well as members of the genera Arachnocampa, Keroplatus and Orfelia among keroplatid fungus gnats.
The Elateroidea are a large superfamily of beetles. It contains the familiar click beetles, fireflies, and soldier beetles and their relatives. It consists of about 25,000 species.
Megapenthes lugens is a species of primarily European click beetle. The adult is black, narrow and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long. The larvae feed on weevil larvae in the decaying trunks of beech and elm. In July 2010, the common name "queen's executioner beetle" was proposed following a competition.
Alaus oculatus, commonly called the eastern eyed click beetle or eyed elater, is a species of click beetle.
Agrypnus murinus is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae.
Cidnopus pilosus is a species of click beetle belonging to the subfamily Dendrometrinae of the family Elateridae.
Denticollis linearis is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae subfamily Dendrometrinae.
Pyrophorus noctilucus, common name headlight elater, is a species of click beetle.
Eucnemidae, or false click beetles, are a family of elateroid beetles including about 1700 species distributed worldwide.
Hemicrepidius hirtus is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae.
Calais parreysii is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae.
Lacon is a genus of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae and the subfamily Agrypninae.
Athous bicolor is a species of click beetles.
Amychus granulatus, commonly known as the Cook Strait click beetle, is a large flightless click beetle in the family Elateridae.
Prosternon tessellatum, the chequered click beetle, is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae.
Lacon marmoratus, the marbled click beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae.
Ctenicera virens is a species of click beetles.
Megathous nigerrimus is a species of click beetles in the family Elateridae.
Ampedus is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. There are currently 461 recognized species of Ampedus beetles. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, but is found mostly in the Holarctic region, primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The oldest known fossil from this genus was found in Eocene Baltic amber, estimated to be from 38.0–33.9 million years ago.