Species Mezium americanum - American Spider Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Internet References · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

Superfamily Bostrichoidea

Family Ptinidae (Death-watch and Spider Beetles)

Subfamily Ptininae (Spider Beetles)

Tribe Meziini

Genus Mezium

Species americanum (American Spider Beetle)

Explanation of Names

Mezium americanum (Laporte de Castelnau 1840)

Identification

Adults differ from those of M. affine in having the setal collar at the base of the pronotum deeply interrupted at, and on each side of, the middle(1)

Range

N. & C. America; Australia; probably of African origin (this flightless beetle may not have reached America without human agency)

Habitat

homes, warehouses, stores

Food

dry stored products

Internet References

Fact sheet(2)

Works Cited

1.	Beetles associated with stored products in Canada: An identification guide Bousquet Y. 1990. Research Branch Agriculture Canada, Publication 1837.

2.	PaDIL – High quality images and information tools designed for Biosecurity and Biodiversity

Contributed by Boris Büche on 30 March, 2007 - 8:24am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, v belov
Last updated 26 December, 2013 - 3:06am

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