Talk:Deathwatch beetle/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Enwebb (talk · contribs) 19:59, 14 October 2019 (UTC)

Happy to take a look here.

• Seems odd to have physical description within a "Life cycle" section

• Moved. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Maybe "Damage" and "Treatment" could be subsections of an "Economic importance" section?

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Anything about taxonomy/phylogenies?

• I have added a bit. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 10:13, 16 October 2019 (UTC)

• What is the geographic range of this species?

• Western Europe, but otherwise I'm not sure. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• See source at bottom. Enwebb (talk) 14:08, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Is lifespan known?

• Length of larval stage + a few days/weeks. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Listed source below that gives adult lifespan as approximately 10 weeks, as adults do not eat. Enwebb (talk) 14:08, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Practical Magic links to the wrong article, should be Practical Magic (novel) and also needs to be italicized

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Still needs italics. Enwebb (talk) 14:06, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• "largely a thing of the past" should be rephrased as a figure of speech

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• You say the tapping takes place in summer nights in the lead but don't give a time in the body

• Added. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Are they nocturnal? Do they only tap at night? Or is that just when people can hear them best?

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Probably can split this into two sentences: "Wood is difficult to digest, but as long as the wood has been softened by fungal decay, the enzymes in the guts of the larvae are able to digest the cellulose and hemicellulose forming the cell walls, and make use of the protein, starch and sugars found within the cells"

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:27, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Gloss explanation of frass

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:27, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Add description of larvae

• Done. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:27, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Where does it occur outside of human habitation?

• Added. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:27, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• (In Greek mythology, Atropos and Clotho were two of the three moirai (Fates) associated with death.) odd to have a full sentence enclosed in parentheses with other parentheses within it.

Don't see anything wrong with it, but if you prefer, the outer parentheses can be removed and the preceding full stop replaced by a semi-colon.--Ehrenkater (talk) 16:52, 17 October 2019 (UTC)

• "However, infestation by these beetles is largely historic,..." makes it sound like they don't happen anymore. This could be rewritten to make it clear that older buildings are still vulnerable. Lincoln Cathedral had an infestation as recently as 2015

• Thank you for taking on this review. I can find little information on the biology of the beetle but plenty on its cultural depiction. So information on its description, distribution, longevity etc is difficult to find. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:01, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

I have added quite a bit of extra information from the Urban insects source. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:27, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

• Seems like this beetle isn't covered all that well, but I think this article meets the GACR. Sorry for the delay in the review, I've been busy IRL. Enwebb (talk) 15:23, 28 October 2019 (UTC)

Thanks Enwebb. I've been busy in real life too. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 20:07, 28 October 2019 (UTC)

Possible sources for expansion

• This article has more info about differential tapping behaviors by males and females and sexual selection by females for larger males
• STUDIES OF THE BIOLOGY OF THE DEATH‐WATCH BEETLE, XESTOBIUM RUFOVILLOSUM DE G.: A SUMMARY OF PAST WORK AND A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES has more information about range as well as biology. "According to Picpj), ten species of Xestobium have been described and are confined for the most part to temperate countries. The distri- bution of X. rufovillosum is given as Europe, Corsica, Algeria and New Caledonia. It is strange that this island in the Pacific should be included in the range of distribution of a species not found in the tropics, and which, according to Tillyard(%) and Miller(23), does not occur in Australia, nor in New Zealand. It has also been recorded in the United States of America, but it is noteworthy as a pest of hardwood structural timbers only in North European countries"
• "Mate location in the deathwatch beetle, Xestobium rufovillosum De Geer (Anobiidae): orientation to substrate vibrations"
• Host selection behaviour of deathwatch beetle, Xestobium rufovillosum: Oviposition preference choice assays testing old vs new oak timber, Quercus sp.
• A note on the outdoor incidence of the death-watch beetle Xestobium rufovillosum (Degeer) (Col.: Anobiidae)
• Insect Damage as a Function of Climate says it "needs temperatures in excess of 27°C to fly"
• [1] Handbook of urban insects and arachnids: A handbook of urban entomology Pg 79-80 of the PDF, pg 70-71 of the text. This source has tons of info about biology, range, and more, including this interesting bit worthy of inclusion: "Females emerge after the males and are immediately ready for copulation. Mating usually takes place in the afternoon and lasts about 1 h. Adult beetles do not feed and live about 10 weeks. Females begin laying eggs 5–11 days after mating"