Attagenus smirnovi Zhantiev, 1973)

Pentinsaari, Mikko, Anderson, Robert, Borowiec, Lech, Bouchard, Patrice, Brunke, Adam, Douglas, Hume, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2019, DNA barcodes reveal 63 overlooked species of Canadian beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera), ZooKeys 894, pp. 53-150 : 53

Attagenus smirnovi Zhantiev, 1973) Figure 29

Distribution.

Native to the Afrotropical region. Adventive in the Palaearctic region, first recorded from Europe in the 1960s (misidentified under various species names), distribution expanded in recent decades (Stengaard Hansen et al. 2012). Adventive in the Nearctic region (Ontario, Canada).

Canadian records.

Ontario: Toronto, 19-Jul-2016 (3 exx, CBG).

Diagnostic information

(based on Peacock 1979, Halstead 1981, and Kalik 1992). Body length 2.3-4.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 29A, B . Dark brown to black with yellow pubescence, elytra red-brown in males, usually paler yellow-brown in females. Antennae and legs red-brown or yellow-brown. Male antennomere 11 slightly curved at the base, ca. four times longer than wide and ca. four times as long as the combined length of antennomeres 9 and 10. Female antennal club elongate, last antennomere not modified, ovoid. Propleurotrochantin exposed. Anterior ventral carina of mesofemur prominent and sharp, posterior carina weakly developed. Metacoxa reaching metepimeron.

Bionomic notes.

This species is recorded from the nests of the Little swift ( Apus affinis (J.E. Gray, 1830)) in Kenya ( Peacock 1979). It is an indoor pest of various materials of animal origin in Europe (Stengaard Hansen et al. 2012). The Canadian specimens (two larvae and one adult female) were collected in an apartment in Toronto.

Comments.

Vernacularly known as the brown carpet beetle. The coloration makes this species quite distinctive among Attagenus species recorded from Canada. Presence of adults and larvae in a home suggest establishment in Canada. It is unknown how large or viable Canadian populations of this species are.

Figures

Figure 29. Attagenus smirnovi Zhantiev, habitus, L. Borowiec A male B female. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.