Blaps polychresta
| Blaps polychresta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Blaps polychresta in Queensland, Australia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Tenebrionidae |
| Genus: | Blaps |
| Species: | B. polychresta |
| Binomial name | |
| Blaps polychresta (Forskål, 1775) | |
Blaps polychresta, commonly known as the Egyptian beetle, South African beetle or cellar beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. This species is a popular pet and can live up to 4-5 years.[1] Although this species is introduced to Australia and America, it is not considered a pest, and is rather commonly found in chicken coops where the chickens feast on this species.[2]
Taxonomy
Blaps polychresta has one junior synonym, Blaps sulcata.[3] ( Fabricius, 1775, not to be confused with Laporte de Castelnau, 1980)
Distribution
The species is found naturally across from Syria to Egypt, but has also been introduced to Australia, particularly Southern Australia and Western Victoria via European Clipper ships carrying grain, and to Northern America.[4][5]
Diet and ecology
This species is a herbivore, feeding on residue and organic waste of animals such as rodents and birds.[6] Cystocephalus algerianus infects the males with a rate of 1 in 105 specimens.[7]
References
- ^ "Egyptian beetles (Blaps polychresta) with Optional Kit". Bug Frenzy. 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "Coleoptera | What Bug Is That?". Anic.ento.csiro.au. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Soldati, L.; Kergoat, G.J.; Condamine, F. (2009). "Important notes on taxonomic structure of Blaps nitens Laporte de Castelnau, 1840 with the description of new subspecies Blaps nitens medvedevi subsp. n. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Blaptini)". Caucasian Entomological Bulletin. 5 (2): 231–233. doi:10.23885/1814-3326-2009-5-2-231-233.
- ^ "Egyptian Beetle (Blaps polychresta) - by Graeme Ruck". JungleDragon. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Popik, Ekaterina; Barroso, Fábio; Domingues, Sara; Araújo, Luísa N; Carvalho, Carmen; Fonte, Miguel (November 2018). "Spontaneous neonatal pneumomediastinum and spinnaker-sail sign: No Running head". Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 54 (11): 1273. doi:10.1111/jpc.2_14186. PMID 30387258. S2CID 54360510.
- ^ "Egyptian Beetle - The Animal Facts - Appearance, Habitat, Diet, Lifespan". The Animal Facts. 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Rashed, AA; Gouda, KR (April 2008). "Studies on three species of the genus Cystocephalus Schneider, 1886 (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Stylocephalidae) with special reference to host specificity and distribution of members of family Stylocephalidae in Egypt". Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology. 38 (1): 211–23. PMID 19143132.