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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Flower, Flat Bark and Ladybird Beetles (Cucujoidea) » Sap-feeding Beetles (Nitidulidae) » Glischrochilus » 4-spotted Sap Beetle (Glischrochilus quadrisignatus)

Species Glischrochilus quadrisignatus - 4-spotted Sap Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Food · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Picnic Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus Four-spotted Sap Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus 4-spotted Sap Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus 4-spotted Sap Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus Small Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus G. quadrisignatus Iowa March - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus 4-spotted Sap Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus Four Spotted Sap Beetle - Glischrochilus quadrisignatus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Cucujoidea (Flower, Flat Bark and Ladybird Beetles)
Family Nitidulidae (Sap-feeding Beetles)
Genus Glischrochilus
Species quadrisignatus (4-spotted Sap Beetle)
Other Common Names
Picnic Beetle; "beer bug"
Numbers
Widespread in North America; also occurs in Europe.
Size
4-6 mm
Identification
Distinguished from G. fasciatus by the smaller elytral blotches, and the anterior blotches being farther from the midline than the posterior blotches (USDA Forest Service). Also, G. fasciatus is all dark underneath, while G. quadrisignatus is reddish-brown (1).
Food
Larvae feed on a variety of fermenting substances. (Government of Canada)
Remarks
"This species is attracted by the odour of fermenting fruits and vegetables. Most people encounter this species when the adult beetles fly into beer or soft drinks at summer picnics." (Government of Canada)
See Also
Glischrochilus fasciatus
Internet References
live adult image (Frank Kohler, koleopterologie.de)
live adult image (C. Weisenbohler, koleopterologie.de)
comparison images of pinned adult G. fasciatus and quadrisignatus (Insects of Quebec)
pinned adult image plus other info (Government of Canada)
biology & other info (Ohio State U.)
Works Cited
1.A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America
By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 11 January, 2005 - 5:24pm
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 10 January, 2007 - 3:08am

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