| Ptinus sexpunctatus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ptinus Sexpunctatus caught on a sticky blunder trap in the Yorkshire Museum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Ptinidae |
| Genus: | Ptinus |
| Species: | P. sexpunctatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ptinus sexpunctatus Panzer, 1789 | |
Ptinus sexpunctatus is a species of beetles in the genus Ptinus of the family Ptinidae. [1] It is commonly known as the six-spotted spider beetle.
P. sexpunctatus is one of eleven species of Ptinid in the subgenus Gynopterus. The subgenus was first described by Mulsant and Rey in 1868. [2]
The species is approximately 4–5 mm in length and is a uniform dark colouration. It has very prominent basal and apical patches of appressed white scale. The grooves on the elytra are very deep. [3]
Ptinus sexpunctatus is a Palearctic spider beetle (Ptinidae: Ptininae) found throughout Europe. [1] In the United Kingdom it is categorised as 'Nationally Notable B' by the National Biodiversity Network and thus appears in between 31 and 100 hectads (10 km grid squares) across the country. [4] In 2007 it was first recorded as an invasive species in North America where it may have imported with introductions of Osmia cornuta and Osmia cornifrons . [1]
The six-spotted spider beetle has been generally associated with pine forests, [5] although more cosmopolitan sightings have occurred indoors. [6] [7] [8] The larvae of P. sexpunctatus are commensals in the nests of cavity-nesting solitary bees in the genera Osmia and Megachile. [1] One example has been recorded, from Nova Scotia, Canada, in the nest of the Blue Orchid Mason Bee (Osmia lignaria). [3] Within the nest, the larvae feed on the food provisions of the host larva.
The prevalence, or at least the recording, of P. sexpunctatus may be increasing due to the rise in the number of commercially available bee hotels used in domestic gardens. [9]
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.
Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus Osmia, of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally occurring gaps such as between cracks in stones or other small dark cavities. When available, some species preferentially use hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects.
Bostrichoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is the type superfamily of the infraorder Bostrichiformia.
Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the orchard mason bee or blue orchard bee, is a megachilid bee that makes nests in natural holes and reeds, creating individual cells for its brood that are separated by mud dividers. Unlike carpenter bees, it cannot drill holes in wood. O. lignaria is a common species used for early spring fruit bloom in the United States and Canada, though a number of other Osmia species are cultured for use in pollination.
Spider beetles make up the subfamily Ptininae, in the family Ptinidae. There are approximately 70 genera and 600 species in the subfamily, with about 12 genera and 70 species in North America north of Mexico.
Osmia bicornis is a species of mason bee, and is known as the red mason bee due to its covering of dense gingery hair. It is a solitary bee that nests in holes or stems and is polylectic, meaning it forages pollen from various different flowering plants. These bees can be seen aggregating together and nests in preexisting hollows, choosing not to excavate their own. These bees are not aggressive; they will only sting if handled very roughly and are safe to be closely observed by children. Females only mate once, usually with closely related males. Further, females can determine the sex ratio of their offspring based on their body size, where larger females will invest more in diploid females eggs than small bees. These bees also have trichromatic colour vision and are important pollinators in agriculture.
Osmia cornuta, the European orchard bee, is a species of bee in the genus Osmia.
Eucradinae is a subfamily of death-watch and spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are at least 5 genera and about 18 described species in Eucradinae.
Ptinus fur, the whitemarked spider beetle, is a species of spider beetle in the genus Ptinus, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution.
Ptinus tectus, often called the Australian spider beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Ptinidae, or family Anobiidae, subfamily Ptininae. It is a cosmopolitan species. It is a pest of stored foods and museum specimens.
Aphodius is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. In most species both the adults and larvae are coprophagous although some species have herbivorous or saprophagous larvae. Aphodius species typically dominate dung beetle communities in north temperate ecosystems. Most species are functionally classified as endocoprids, also known as dwellers, because the larvae live and feed within the dung pat itself.
Ptinus is a genus of beetles distributed throughout much of the world, including Africa, the Australian region, the Palearctic, the Near East, the Nearctic, and the Neotropical realm. It is a member of the subfamily Ptininae, the spider beetles.
Osmia uncinata, the pinewood mason bee, is a species of solitary bee from the family Megachilidae It is an Arctic-alpine species which is found in the northern Palearctic, in the United Kingdom it is a Biodiversity Action Plan priority species.
Chaetodactylus is a genus of parasitic mite primarily associated with solitary bees with over 20 species.
Tegrodera aloga, the iron cross blister beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Ptinini is a tribe of spider beetles in the family Ptinidae. There are about 18 genera and at least 120 described species in Ptinini.
Ptinomorphus is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Ptinidae.