| Agriotes pilosellus (Schönherr, 1817) |
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Scientific name: Agriotes pilosellus (Schönherr, 1817) Common name: French name: Order: Coleoptera Family: Elateridae Wingspan : 12.5 to 17 mm. Biotope: Forests and fallow lands. It has been also observed in cultivated fields of cereals. Geographic area: Europe, missing in the British Isles, in Scandinavia and in other northern regions. Observation period : April to July. |
Agriotes pilosellus is a relatively large size Click Beetle. It is a dark grey colour, sometimes slightly brownish, coming from a dark body covered with a short, dense and pale pubescence. The pronotum is elongated, about 1.2 longer than wide and rather broader anteriorly. The pale hairs appear flat lying. The Click Beetles' antennae have always 11 articles. Those of Agriotes pilosellus have a rather short third article, shorter than the second article which is, itself, very slightly shorter that the fourth one. The elytra are aligned with the pronotum and longitudinally striated. They have parallel edges, or they are even slightly broadening, on the first two thirds of the total length, then they end with a rounded pointed tip on the last third. The pubescence is a little shorter than on the pronotum. The tarsi are thread-like. Synaptus filiformis is very similar to Agriotes pilosellus regarding general shape and pubescence. It shows some kind of a well visible flat plate under the third tarsi of each leg. Articles 2 and 3 of the antennae are almost the same length. The larvae grow during several years under the ground and feed on plant roots. |
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The shape of the pronotum and on the elytra with the pubescence seem to indicate the Agriotes pilosellus species. The tarsi are thread-like. Because of the angle of view and because of the curve of the antennae, it is not possible to compare the length of articles 2, 3 and 4 on this picture. |
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I have not been able either to evaluate the length of the articles of the antennae on this picture, even while zooming on the non reduced picture. This identification criteria is really difficulty to apply on observations made in the field, without capture. However, the use of the other criteria helped me to decide for the Agriotes pilosellus species and this has been confirmed to me by an expert. |
André Bon November 2012