Anthaxia quadripunctata

Anthaxia quadripunctata, the Metallic wood-boring beetle, is a species of jewel beetles belonging to the family Buprestidae, subfamily Buprestinae.

Anthaxia quadripunctata
Mating Anthaxia quadripunctata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Buprestidae
Genus:
Anthaxia
Species:
A. quadripunctata
Binomial name
Anthaxia quadripunctata
Synonyms
  • Melanthaxia quadripunctata

Subspecies
  • Anthaxia quadripunctata attavistica Obenberger, 1918
  • Anthaxia quadripunctata quadripunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Description
Anthaxia quadripunctata larva

Anthaxia quadripunctata can reach a length of 4.5 and 8 millimetres (0.18 and 0.31 in). The basic color is black or dark brown with a copper shine. The elytra and pronotum are grainy. Pronotum is almost rectangular and usually shows a row of four small dimples (hence the Latin name quadripunctata, meaning with four points).

Adults fly from April to September feeding on pollen of several Asteraceae and prefer white and yellow flowers, where frequently many of them are mating. Larvae are polyphagous wood borers, living just under the bark of sick or dead coniferous trees. Main larval host plants are in genus Picea, Abies, Juniperus, Larix and Pinus.

Distribution

This beetle is present in most of Europe, the eastern Palearctic realm, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Near East, and North Africa.

Habitat

They live in mountain areas with coniferous trees, especially in the forest edges.

References


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