Leichenum canaliculatum

Leichenum canaliculatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Superfamily:	Tenebrionoidea
Family:	Tenebrionidae
Subfamily:	Tenebrioninae
Genus:	Leichenum
Species:	L. canaliculatum
Binomial name
	Leichenum canaliculatum; (Fabricius 1798)
Trinomial name
	Leichenum canaliculatum variegatum; (Klug, 1833)
Synonyms
	Opatrum canaliculatum Fabricius, 1798; Opatrum canaliculatum variegatum Klug, 1833; Leichenum pulchellum Küster, 1849; Leichenum variegatum Küster, 1849; Leichenum argillaceum Motschulsky, 1863; Lichenum foveistrium Marseul, 1876; Lichenum seriehispidum Marseul, 1876; Lichenum gebieni Reitter, 1906; Endothina squamosa Carter, 1924;

Leichenum canaliculatum, commonly known as Madagascar beetle, is a species of darkling beetle.^[1]^[2]

Distribution

The species can be found in several Africa, Asian and Oceania countries including: Australia, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, France, Gambia, Guadeloupe, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also introduced to USA and can be found in many coastal areas.^{[citation needed]}

Description

Adult is oval with an average length of 5 mm. The body is grayish with black, gray, brown mottling. A whitish spatula-shaped, scaly setae present. Eyes are globose and slightly emarginated. Antennae short with a clearly defined 4-segmented club on the apical half. The length of the mature larva is 12 mm. In the pupa, the urogomphi are fused into a long spine-like process and the tip ends in two small round lobes. Pupa is about 6 mm in length.^[3]

Biology

Adults are easily attracted to light traps as well as both baited or unbaited pitfall traps. It is commonly found in sandy areas, along beaches, lakes and river shorelines. The highest aggregations are recorded from March to November. Adults usually hide under small piles of leaf litter in sand depressions. Both adult and larva are known to feed on roots of Bermuda grass, cotton, turnips and rutabagas. Larva also observed to feed on nap of rugs, and associated with damaged peach trees and Amaryllis bulbs.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Species Leichenum canaliculatum - Madagascar Beetle". bugguide. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
^ "Leichenum canaliculatum (Fabricius, 1798)". Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
^ "The Madagascar beetle, Leichenum canaliculatum variegatum". University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved 2021-07-03.

[1] "Species Leichenum canaliculatum - Madagascar Beetle". bugguide. Retrieved 2021-07-03.

[2] "Leichenum canaliculatum (Fabricius, 1798)". Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 2021-07-03.

[3] "The Madagascar beetle, Leichenum canaliculatum variegatum". University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved 2021-07-03.

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