Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 342

Prosternon tessellatum beetles are found in Europe, Asia, and the Nearctic realm, living in various habitats like mountain areas, forests, heathlands, and gardens. They are about 10-12 millimeters long with blackish-brown pronotum and striped elytra. These beetles are similar to Agrypnus murinus but larger in size. Adults are active from May to early August, feeding on flowers and vegetation, while their larvae live in conifer tree stumps and humus, preying on cocoons of insects like pine-tree lappet and pine sawfly.