Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Coleoptera (Beetles) ➔ Family Cetoniidae (Rose chafers)
Valgus hemipterus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Stolperkäfer
Synonyms and other combinations:
Scarabaeus hemipterus Linnaeus, 1758 | Scarabaeus variegatus Scopoli, 1763 ? | Valgus hemipterus rubi Baguena, 1955 | Valgus hemipterus rufosquamata Dallatorre, 1879 |
(?: ambiguous synonym)
Classification:
Valgus hemipterus belongs to the subfamily Valginae, tribe Valgini.Distribution:
In wide parts of Europe, missing in the north (British islands, Fennoskandinavien); Caucasus; Asia Minor; North-Africa; introduced to North America.Habitat:
Preferred in warmer, sunny biotopes: forest edges, ruderal areas, vineyards, hedges.Description:
Valgus hemipterus is a black or black-brown, black and light scaly, broad beetle with a body length of 6 - 10 mm. The elytra are flat and much shorter than the abdomen. The pronotum is double keeled behind the front edge.The females are colored darker than the males, since their portion of light scales is smaller. The females are easy to distinguish from the males as they have a spine-like elongated pygidium.
Similar species:
Valgus hemipterus is the only species of the subfamily Valginae in Central Europe.Biology:
Valgus hemipterus flies from April, mostly in May and June.The adults are flower visitors. They are often found feeding on umbellifers, hawthorn and other rose plants. The eggs are laid by the females on deadwood. The larvae eat and develop in the rotten, mulmy wood of dead deciduous trees (oak, birch, elm, chestnut, ...). They pupate in autumn.
The beetles overwinter in their pupal habitation.
References, further reading, links:
- Schoolmeesters P. (2019). Scarabs: World Scarabaeidae Database (version Jan 2019). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2019 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Ower G., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2019. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
- Harde, Severa: Der Kosmos Käferführer: Die Käfer Mitteleuropas, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & KG, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-440-07682-2.