Cantharis rustica, the rustic sailor beetle, is a species of soldier beetle found from Europe to Central Russia.
| Cantharis rustica | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Cantharidae |
| Genus: | Cantharis |
| Species: | C. rustica
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| Binomial name | |
| Cantharis rustica | |
Description
editC. rustica has black wing cases, which are protective covers for its wings. Its legs have a blackish color, and there is a heart-shaped spot on the pronotum. These features are unique for the species and can help identify this particular beetle.[1]
In Central Europe, the adult beetles appear between May and July. Larvae are active from late summer until early spring, and in March and April they pupate.[2]
C. rustica feeds on a wide range of species, including Sialis lutaria, Malachius bipustulatus, Adalia bipunctata, Phyllobius, Tenthredopsis litterata, Tenthredopsis nassata, Arge gracilicornis, Empis livida, Bibio marci, and Scatophaga stercoraria.[1]
Distribution
editAccording to GBIF records, Cantharis rustica occurs in Europe from as north as Scandinavia to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and from the Atlantic Ocean to Central Russia.[3]
Habitat
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This beetle species has a preference for arable land,[2] lowland grassland habitats, but it also occurs in woodland and other habitats with tall grass. Adults can be found on vegetation and flower heads from mid-May till the end of June.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Sivell O; Sivell D (26 November 2021). "The genome sequence of a soldier beetle, Cantharis rustica Fallén 1807". Wellcome Open Research. doi:10.12688/WELLCOMEOPENRES.17363.1. ISSN 2398-502X. Wikidata Q118571529.
- ^ a b Traugott, M. (2006). Habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult Cantharis beetles in arable land. European Journal of Soil Biology, 42(2), 82-88. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2005.10.001)
- ^ Cantharis rustica Fallén, 1807 in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2020-06-13.