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Species Alphitobius laevigatus - Black Fungus Beetle

Alphitobius laevigatus? - Alphitobius laevigatus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)

Superfamily Tenebrionoidea

Family Tenebrionidae (Darkling Beetles)

Subfamily Tenebrioninae

Tribe Alphitobiini

Genus Alphitobius

Species laevigatus (Black Fungus Beetle )

Explanation of Names

Alphitobius laevigatus (Fabricius 1781)

laevigatus = 'smooth'

Size

5.0-6.6 mm(1)

Identification

differs from A. diaperinus in having the eye more deeply incised (width about 1 facet laterally) and the pronotum more convex, its lateral margins more rounded and the basal bead complete(2)

Range

cosmopolitan, of tropical origin; e. half of the US (CT-FL to WI-TX), CA & so. ON(2)(3)(4)

Habitat

infests flour, bread, and maize in processing plants(5), thrives in damp and moldy conditions(2); in Europe, occurs in the wild on fungi in logs(6)

Food

Both the adult and larva are general feeders; a sign of infestation is a disagreeable odour

Remarks

minor pest, less important than A. diaperinus(2)

comes to lights, often with A. diaperinus, but never in numbers

Works Cited

1.	Tenebrionoidea of South Carolina Janet C. Ciegler. 2014. Clemson University.

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

3.	The Darkling Beetles of Florida and Eastern United States

4.	California Beetle Project

5.	Handbook of urban insects and arachnids: A handbook of urban entomology Robinson W.H. 2005. Cambridge University Press.

6.	Alien terrestrial arthropods of Europe Roques A., Kenis M., Lees D., Lopez-Vaamonde C., Rabitsch W., Rasplus J.-Y., Roy D., eds. 2010. BioRisk 4 Special Issue; 2 vols., 1028 pp.

Contributed by Mike Quinn on 24 March, 2012 - 10:57am
Additional contributions by v belov
Last updated 18 December, 2018 - 10:53am

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