Necrobia violacea

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Necrobia violacea
Necrobia violacea up.jpg
Necrobia violacea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Cleridae
Genus:
Necrobia
Species:
N. violacea
Binomial name
Necrobia violacea
Linnaeus , 1758) [1]

Necrobia violacea (otherwise known as the Blacklegged ham beetle) is a species of beetle in family Cleridae. Cleridae beetles are a predaceous beetle found within forest and woodland environments, and can be associated with stored food products as both pests and predators of other insects. [2]

Contents

The Necrobia violacea can be found in the Palearctic region. [3] The beetle is also referred to as the blue ham beetle and the cosmopolitan blue bone beetle. It is from the subfamily Korynetinae, and genus Necrobia Olivier [3] [4] [5] It is uniformly metallic shiny green or blue. [6]

Naming Etymology

Within the Cleridae family are three forms of Necrobia beetle including the Necrobia rufipes (redlegged ham beetle), the Necrobia ruficollis (redshouldered ham beetle), and the Necrobia violacia (blacklegged ham beetle).

The species name violacea is derived from the Latin "violācĕus, a, um" meaning "violet", and refers to the beetle's blue color. [4] The genus name Necróbia, according to Schenkling from Altgr., is derived from "νεκρός nekrós", meaning 'dead', and "βίος.", meaning bíos or place of residence, suggesting that the genus typically inhabits animal-based substances. [7]

The name Necrobia (derived from the words "nekrós the dead and "βίος bíos life" meaning "the dead life") was given to the species by French sources to commemorate how this beetle, Necrobia ruficollis, saved the life of the French entomologist Latreille. During the French Revolution, Latreille was among the conservative Catholic clergy who refused to recognize the civil constitution and was due to be deported to French Guiana. Whilst in Bordeaux prison, Latreille discovered the beetle, which had previously been described by Fabricius in 1775 as part of the Dermestes genus. In 1795, the species was separated from the genus Dermestes and placed within its own genus, Necrobia.

The name "blue ham beetle" is derived from the species' blue legs, in comparison to the red-legged ham beetle Necrobia rufipes that is sometimes found on ham. The name, "piston beetle," is derived from the round antennae of the beetle and its association with the beetle family.

The species has numerous synonyms:

Corynetes chalibea Storm 1837

Corynetes dalamatina Obenberger 1916

Corynetes jablanicensis Obenberger 1916

Clerus quadra Marsham 1802

Corynetes angustata Falderman 1835

Necrobia errans Melsheimer 1846 [8]

Characteristics

This beetle is quite small, measuring only four to five millimeters in length. It is roughly 2.5 times longer than it is wide, has a slightly curved shape, and has a iridescent metallic blue-green to green hue across its body, including its legs.

It has long protruding hair, partly with different types of hair (double hair).

The triangular head with bulging eyes can be pulled back slightly into the pronotum. The terminal segment of the jaw palpi is not shaped like an axe as in the Korynetes violaceus species, but is spindle-shaped and truncated. The eleven-proved antennae are completely black and terminate in a three-lobed, wide and flattened club. The last link of the attennae is notably bigger than the penultimate link, and the club is more condensed than the club of Korynetes.

The pronotum of this species is not evenly curved like Korynetes, but rather widens in a relatively straight line towards the back, making it wider in the last third than the head. The base is curved and ends in pointed posterior angles at the sides, and is edged and coarsely punctured, more so than Korynetes.

The elytra is wider at the front than at the pronotum, and gradually widens until it reaches its fullest width in the last half. Its shape is generally semicircular, with elongated dots throughout that become less visible as they reach the end. The species is double-haired including fair and coarse hairs. The darker and longer hairs slant forward, whilst the lighter, shorter, and thinner hairs slant backward. The pronotum also has two types of hairs, though the fairer hairs are harder to discern between the darker hairs that stand out more prominently.

The leg hairs of the creature range from blue to black. The tarsi, or segments of the leg, consist of five joints, though they appear to have four since the fourth joint is small and tucked away in the cavity of the third joint. The claws at the end of the legs are serrated at the base.

The genitalia of this species are much different from that of other studied families. The phallus and phallobasic apodem have been found to be very long, almost twice as long or more than the tegmen. The external gender differences are not known. [9]

Larvae

Eggs of the adult beetle are laid on a surface. Larvae burrow into the material of the commodity surface they are laid upon. Larvae have an elongated shape, marked by three pairs of jointed legs. The head, first thoracic segment, and part of the last abdominal segment are sclerotized, while the remaining segments have a soft-skinned, marbled exterior. At the end of the abdoment is a pincer-shaped appendage called the urogomph, which is attached to a sclerotized plate that leaves the base of the last abdominal segment exposed. There is no outgrowth in front of the urogomph, and the upper jaw's inner edge is not serrated. The lower jaw is pulled back just below the head, nad the cardo and stipes are roughly the same size. [10]

At the point of pupation, they create a cucoon either in the infested commodity or in a tunnel they have bored elsewhere. [2] In contrast to Necrobia rufipes, the larvae do not consume carrion, but do predate on the larvae of other insects that are found on the carcass, such as those belonging to the species of skin beetle in the genus Dermestes. [6] In laboratory tests, it was shown that the larvae also feed inside the pupae of flies of the genus Sarcophaga .

Biology

The imagines (the stage in which the insect attains maturity) occur everywhere where remnants of carrion can be found. They are long lived and under warm conditions will fly in search of food. [2] The species can be found among stored dried meat products, dry bones, rawhide, dried fish, as well as insect and mite-infested carcasses. [11] It is common to find the beetle feeding on oilseeds, aged cheeses, dried, cured or smoked meat products and bacon. [12] The beetle is also regularly found in forensic studies of older bodies exposed to the elements. [6]

The beetle is rarely of relevance to forensic science due to their preference for corpses in advanced stages of decomposition. Furthermore, the beetle is noted by sources to have the same food preferences as the Piophila casei fly.

Studies in Switzerland have confirmed the appearance of imagines during the fourth stage of body decomposition (ammoniacal decay) and were found on desiccated carcasses. This corresponds to a period of five to nine months after death. A period of 25 to 35 days is assumed for the development period of the beetle larvae.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forensic entomology</span> Application of insect and other arthropod biology to forensics

Forensic entomology is a field of forensic science that uses insects found on corpses to help solve criminal cases. This includes the study of insect types commonly associated with cadavers, their respective life cycles, their ecological presences in a given environment, as well as the changes in insect assemblage with the progression of decomposition. Insect succession patterns are identified based on the time a given species of insect spends in a given developmental stage, and how many generations have been produced since the insects introduction to a given food source. Insect development alongside environmental data such as temperature and vapor density, can be used to estimate the time since death, due to the fact that flying insects are attracted to a body immediately after death, determine any possible movement of the body after death, and the determination of antemortem trauma. The identification of postmortem interval to aid in death investigations is the primary scope of this scientific field. However, forensic entomology is not limited to homicides, it has also been used in cases of neglect and abuse, in toxicology contexts to detect the presence of drugs, and in dry shelf food contamination incidents. Equally, insect assemblages present on a body, can be used to approximate a given location, as certain insects may be unique to certain areas. Therefore, forensic entomology can be divided into three subfields: urban, stored-product and medico-legal/medico-criminal entomology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf beetle</span> Family of beetles

The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, but the precise taxonomy and systematics are likely to change with ongoing research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dermestidae</span> Family of beetles

Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are over 1,800 species described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oedemeridae</span> Family of beetles

The family Oedemeridae is a cosmopolitan group of beetles commonly known as false blister beetles, though some recent authors have coined the name pollen-feeding beetles. There are some 100 genera and 1,500 species in the family, mostly associated with rotting wood as larvae, though adults are quite common on flowers. The family was erected by Pierre André Latreille in 1810.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleridae</span> Checkered beetles

Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The family Cleridae has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences.

<i>Dermestes maculatus</i> Species of beetle

Dermestes maculatus is a species of beetle with a worldwide distribution, being present on all continents except Antarctica. In Europe, it is present in all countries.

<i>Helophorus</i> Genus of beetles

Helophorus is the only genus in the beetle family Helophoridae within the Hydrophiloidea. They are small insects, found mainly in the Holarctic region, but two or three species also live in the Afrotropical region, Central America and one in the Indomalayan region.

<i>Nicrophorus tomentosus</i> Species of beetle

Nicrophorus tomentosus is a species of burying beetle that was described by Friedrich Weber in 1801. The beetle belongs to the family Silphidae which are carrion beetles. The beetles have sensitive antennae that contain olfactory organs. Thus, the beetle can locate dead animals (carcass), and then as the name suggests, can bury them. However, unlike other burying beetles, N. tomentosus does not completely bury these brood carcasses. They instead dig a shallow hole under the carcass and cover it with leaf litter. Recognition of these beetles can be distinguished by its black color with orange markings on the wing covers (elytra).

<i>Trox scaber</i> Species of beetle

Trox scaber is a beetle of the family Trogidae. The 5 to 8 mm long insect is found worldwide, including in Europe, and lives in bird nests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ciidae</span> Family of beetles

The minute tree-fungus beetles, family Ciidae, are a sizeable group of beetles which inhabit Polyporales bracket fungi or coarse woody debris. Most numerous in warmer regions, they are nonetheless widespread and a considerable number of species occur as far polewards as Scandinavia for example.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American carrion beetle</span> Species of beetle

The American carrion beetle is a North American beetle of the family Silphidae. It lays its eggs in, and its larvae consume, raw flesh and fungi. The larvae and adults also consume fly larvae and the larvae of other carrion beetles that compete for the same food sources as their larvae. They prefer to live in marshy and woody habitats. Necrophila americana emerge from their larval state in the early summer. The P. ashtoni cuckoo bumble bee displays close mimicry with the American carrion beetle. They are important in forensic studies because of their tendency to thrive on large carcasses.

<i>Dermestes frischii</i> Species of beetle

Dermestes frischii is a species of beetle found in the Palearctic, including Europe, tropical Africa, the Near East, the Nearctic, North Africa and East Asia. In Europe, it is known from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Corsica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, mainland Denmark, European Turkey, Finland, mainland France, Germany, mainland Greece, Hungary, mainland Italy, Kaliningrad, Moldova, North Macedonia, mainland Norway (doubtful), Poland, Russia, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, mainland Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and Yugoslavia.

<i>Necrobia rufipes</i> Species of beetle

Necrobia rufipes, the red-legged ham beetle, is a species of predatory beetle, in the family Cleridae, with a cosmopolitan distribution, first described by Charles De Geer in 1775.

<i>Necrobia ruficollis</i> Species of beetle

Necrobia ruficollis, the ham beetle, red-shouldered ham beetle, or red-necked bacon beetle, is a mostly carnivorous beetle in the family Cleridae with a cosmopolitan distribution.

<i>Korynetes caeruleus</i> Species of beetle

Korynetes caeruleus also known as the steely blue beetle is a predatory beetle in the family Cleridae. The species name is occasionally misspelled as "coeruleus" (e.g.,), but the spelling caeruleus is preserved by Opinion 604 of the ICZN, issued in 1961.

In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus classified the arthropods, including insects, arachnids and crustaceans, among his class "Insecta". Insects with hardened wing covers were brought together under the name Coleoptera.

Lardoglyphus zacheri is a species of mite first discovered by Friedrich Zacher in a dermestid beetle culture. The genus Lardoglyphus was erected by Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans in 1927. The species is known to be a pest to institutional and private dermestid beetle colonies.

<i>Anisodactylus binotatus</i> Species of beetle

Anisodactylus binotatus is a species of ground beetle native to Europe. It was discovered as being introduced to Canterbury, New Zealand in 1938. Anisodactylus binotatus is a species of Carabidae, also known as the ground beetle family. Although this species of beetle has no official recorded common names, literature from England refers to it as the common shortspur beetle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tillus elongatus</span> Species of beetle

Tillus elongatus is a species of beetle in the family of checkered beetles Cleridae. It is found in the Palearctic. The “Holz” in the German common name Holzbuntkäfer indicates that these checkered beetles are found in wood. Although Tillus elongatus can reach up to a size of 1 cm long, the beetle is rarely seen by humans, as it primarily resides hidden in the wood of trees. The colouration of the males differs from that of the females.

Necrobia is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Cleridae.

References

  1. ↑ Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiæ: impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii. i–ii, 1–824 pp
  2. 1 2 3 Rees, David (2004). Insects of Stored Products. Melbourne: CSIRO Pub. pp. 36–38. ISBN   978-0-643-10112-8. OCLC   700697607.
  3. 1 2 Joy, N 1932 A Practical Handbook of British Beetles
  4. 1 2 Zeno. "Volltext von »Arten, Unterarten, Varietäten, Aberrationen«. Sigmund Schenkling: ..." www.zeno.org (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  5. ↑ "Necrobia violacea". uk beetles. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  6. 1 2 3 Evans, Arthur V. (2023). The lives of beetles : a natural history of Coleoptera. Princeton, New Jersey. p. 110. ISBN   978-0-691-23779-4. OCLC   1353269442.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ↑ Zeno. "Volltext von »Gattungen und Untergattungen.«. Sigmund Schenkling: Erklärung der ..." www.zeno.org (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  8. ↑ "Necrobia violacea (Linnaeus, 1758) | Fauna Europaea". fauna-eu.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  9. ↑ Özdemir, Senem; Sert, Osman. "Systematic Studies on Male Genitalia of Coleoptera Species Found on Decomposing Pig (Sus Scrofa L.) Carcasses at Ankara Province" (PDF). Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry. 36 (2): 137–161.
  10. ↑ Gorham (Hrsg)., J. Richard (1991). Insect and Mite Pests in Food. United States: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Handbook No. 655.
  11. ↑ Gorham, John Richard (1991). Insect and Mite Pests in Food; An Illustrated Key; Volume 1. Agricultural Research Service. United States: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. p. 150.
  12. ↑ Olsen, Alan R. (1996). Fundamentals of microanalytical entomology : a practical guide to detecting and identifying filth in foods. Thomas H. Sidebottom, Sherry A. Knight. Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. 31. ISBN   978-0-13-875524-9. OCLC   1144098632.
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