Cantharis rustica

Cantharis rustica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Cantharidae
Genus:	Cantharis
Species:	C. rustica
Binomial name
	Cantharis rustica; Fallén

Cantharis rustica, the rustic sailor beetle, is a species of soldier beetle found in Europe east to central Russia.[1]

Description

C. rustica has black wing cases, which are protective covers for its wings. Its legs have a blackish color, and there is a heart-shaped spot on the pronotum. These features are unique for the species and can help identify this particular beetle. [2] In central Europe, the adult beetles appear between May and July. Larvae are active from late summer until early spring and in March and April they pupate.[1]

C. rustica feeds on a wide range of species, including Sialis lutaria, Malachius bipustulatus, Adalia bipunctata, Phyllobius, Tenthredopsis litterata, Tenthredopsis nassata, Arge gracilicornis, Empis livida, Bibio marci and Scatophaga stercoraria.[2]

Distribution

According to GBIF records, Cantharis rustica occurs in Europe from as north as Scandinavia to the shores of the Mediterranean and from the Atlantic Ocean to central Russia.[3]

Habitat

This beetle species has a preference for arable land,[1] lowland grassland habitats, but also occurs in woodland and other habitats with tall grass. Adults can be found on vegetation and flower heads from mid-May till the end of June [2]

References

Traugott, M. (2006). Habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult Cantharis beetles in arable land. European journal of soil biology, 42(2), 82-88. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2005.10.001)
Sivell O; Sivell D (26 November 2021). "The genome sequence of a soldier beetle, Cantharis rustica Fallén 1807". Wellcome Open Research. doi:10.12688/WELLCOMEOPENRES.17363.1. ISSN 2398-502X. Wikidata Q118571529.
Cantharis rustica Fallén, 1807 in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2020-06-13.

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[crusticaHabitat-1] Traugott, M. (2006). Habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult Cantharis beetles in arable land. European journal of soil biology, 42(2), 82-88. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2005.10.001)

[:0-2] Sivell O; Sivell D (26 November 2021). "The genome sequence of a soldier beetle, Cantharis rustica Fallén 1807". Wellcome Open Research. doi:10.12688/WELLCOMEOPENRES.17363.1. ISSN 2398-502X. Wikidata Q118571529.

[3] Cantharis rustica Fallén, 1807 in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2020-06-13.