Eleodes suturalis
Eleodes suturalis, or the red-backed darkling beetle, is a species of darkling beetle in the genus Eleodes found in the United States. Their range extends from South Dakota to Texas and are not known to exist west of the Rocky Mountains. They can be easily identified by the distinctive red stripe which goes down the center of their flat elytra.
| Red-backed darkling beetle | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Tenebrionidae |
| Genus: | Eleodes |
| Species: | E. suturalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Eleodes suturalis Say, 1824 | |
Ecology
Like other members of the genus Eleodes, when these beetles feel threatened they raise their abdomen into the air and secrete a foul smelling liquid. Both the larva and adults are herbivorous in nature, eating the seeds of various plants.
References
- Calkins, C.O.; Kirk, V.M. (eds.) 1973: Environmental Entomology, Volume 2, Issue 1.
1. "Species Eleodes suturalis". BugGuide.Net. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.