Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Click, Firefly and Soldier Beetles (Elateroidea) » Net-winged Beetles (Lycidae) » Dictyopterus » Golden Net-wing (Dictyopterus aurora)

Species Dictyopterus aurora - Golden Net-wing

Golden Net-winged Beetle - Dictyopterus aurora

Golden Net-wing Beetle - Dictyopterus aurora

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Elateroidea (Click, Firefly and Soldier Beetles)

Family Lycidae (Net-winged Beetles)

Genus Dictyopterus

Species aurora (Golden Net-wing)

Other Common Names

Red Net-winged Beetle

Explanation of Names

Specific name aurora refers to the Roman Goddess of the Dawn, no doubt for the color of the beetle. Common name suggested by Papp.

Size

6-11 mm

Identification

Small bright red/orange beetle with pleated elytra, prominent pronotum. Active in early spring in woodlands.

Range

Much of North America, also Europe.

Habitat

woodlands with decaying logs

Season

Typically seen early spring. May (Minnesota). North Carolina: March-April (June in mountains), and sometimes September, December. Adults overwinter?

Food

Unknown.

Life Cycle

Larvae are predators under bark (1). Active in early spring, adults often found on rotting logs.

Remarks

Guide TBA--PC. (Clean up references, work on genus guide counts, origin name.)

Print References

Marshall, photo 317.5 (1)

Papp, Intro. to North American Beetles (2)

Dillon, Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America (3)

Brimley, p. 153--Eros aurora (4)

Internet References

North Carolina State University Entomology Collection--50 pinned.

Insects of Cedar Creek

Works Cited

1.	Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America By Stephen A. Marshall

2.	Introduction to North American Beetles By Charles S. Papp

3.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence

4.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

Contributed by Cotinis on 18 March, 2004 - 10:19pm
Last updated 5 November, 2006 - 6:31am

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