Ptinus tectus
{{Short description|Species of beetle}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Ptinus Tectus.jpg
| image_caption =
| taxon = Ptinus tectus
| authority = Boieldieu, 1856
| synonyms =
{{specieslist|Ptinus ocellus|Brown, 1929}}
}}
Ptinus tectus, often called the Australian spider beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Ptinidae,{{cite web |url=https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id9945/ |title=Ptinus tectus Boieldieu, 1856 |publisher=BioLib.cz |accessdate=2017-01-25}} or family Anobiidae, subfamily Ptininae.{{cite web |url=http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=100445 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001003158/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=100445 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 1, 2007 |title=Ptinus (Tectoptinus) tectus Boieldieu 1856 |publisher=Fauna Europaea |date=2000–2015 |accessdate=2017-01-25}} It is a cosmopolitan species (arrived in Europe and the UK from Australia in 1900). It is a pest of stored foods and museum specimens.
P. tectus Boieldieu, 1856 is the name most often used for this species. Some works still state Ptinus ocellus Brown, 1929.{{Cite web |title=ITIS - Report: Ptinus ocellus |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt;jsessionid=2784678C5AB8A6C2DE47789FDC5296C6?search_topic=TSN&search_value=697005#null |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=www.itis.gov}}
Biology
=Description=
The Australian spider beetle (Pictus tectus) measures 2.5–4 mm in length and is coloured dark brown. The adults have biting mouthparts, a well developed thorax and 11-segmented antennae. Characteristics which give them a spider-like appearance include a stout body, pronounced constriction of the neck shield and 6 long thin legs with 5-segmented tarsi.{{cite web |url=http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/pestweb/Query1_1.idc?ID=-1781410566 |title=Australian Spider Beetle: Ptinus tectus |publisher=PestWeb |accessdate=2015-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329171755/http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/pestweb/Query1_1.idc?ID=-1781410566 |archive-date=2015-03-29 |url-status=dead }}
=Life cycle=
The female Australian spider beetle lays 100–120 sticky eggs over a period of 4–5 weeks in early summer, either singly or in small batches. At 20–25 °C the eggs hatch in 3–16 days, producing larvae which are fleshy, curved, covered with fine hairs and relatively immobile. Larval development takes at least 6 weeks, during which time the larvae moult 4 or 5 times. When mature, they wander in search of a pupation site where they spin a cocoon cell in which to pupate. Adults emerge after 20 to 30 days and will live for as long 12 months.
At 70% R.H. development of Ptinus tectus from egg laying to emergence from the cocoon takes an average of about 62 days at 23–25 °C; at 15 °C the time taken is about 130 days. The minimum temperature at which complete development can occur is 10 °C and the maximum is between 28 and 30 °C. Considerable mortality occurs in eggs and larvae at 28 °C.{{cite journal |author1=Ewer, D. W. |author2=Ewer, R. F. |date= 1942 |title=The biology and behaviour of Ptinus tectus Boie.(Coleoptera, Ptinidae), a pest of stored products. III. The effect of temperature and humidity on oviposition, feeding and duration of life cycle |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=18 |pages=290–305 |doi=10.1242/jeb.18.3.290 |doi-access=free}}
Domestic pest
The species is considered as a pest in museums.Pinnager, D. 2001. Pest Management in Museums, Archives and Historic Houses. Archetype Publications. It is recorded from at least 55 museums and historic houses in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |url=http://www.whatseatingyourcollection.com/recordings.php?grouping=7 |title= Whats Eating Your Collection? |publisher= Collections Trust |date= 2015 |accessdate= 2015-07-22}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.padil.gov.au/pests-and-diseases/Pest/Main/135900 Padil] Diagnostic images (as P. ocellus Brown, 1929)
- [https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NBNSYS0000024353 Ptinus tectus UK distribution at National Biodiverity Network Gateway]
- [http://www.coleoptera.org.uk/species/ptinus-tectus Ptinus tectus images at Coleoptera.org ]
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Category:Household pest insects
Category:Beetles described in 1856