Prosternon tessellatum

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Coleopterida
Ordo: Coleoptera
Subordo: Polyphaga
Infraordo: Elateriformia
Superfamilia: Elateroidea

Familia: Elateridae
Subfamilia: Dendrometrinae
Tribus: Prosternini
Genus: Prosternon
Species: Prosternon tessellatum
Name

Prosternon tessellatum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms

Elater tessellatus Linnaeus, 1758

References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiæ: impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii. i–ii, 1–824 pp DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542: 406. Reference page.

Links

Prosternon tessellatum Taxon details on Fauna Europaea
Prosternon tesselatus (Elateridae) - Atlas of beetles of Russia
ZooBank: 8148954D-2254-45E5-B5E0-EF49F5B583C7

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Seidenhaariger Schnellkäfer
lietuvių: Pilkasis sprakšis
русский: Щелкун шахматный

Prosternon tessellatum, the chequered click beetle, is a species of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae.

Distribution

This species is widespread in Europe, in Asia, and in the Nearctic realm.[2][3]
Habitat

These beetles inhabit mountain areas, coniferous forests, dry forest edges and forest meadows, but also heathland, moors, dunes and gardens.
Mounted specimen
Description

Prosternon tessellatum can reach a body length of approximately 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). These beetles have a hairiness blackish-brown pronotum and striped elytra, with paler silk-hairy gray-yellow to gold-shining stains.

They are rather similar to Agrypnus murinus, that is smaller.
Biology

Adults can be found from May to early August, feeding on flowers, shrubs and low vegetation.[4]

Larvae of this species live in tree stumps of conifers and in humus. They are predators and destroy cocoons of pine-tree lappet (Dendrolimus pini) and pine sawfly (Neodiprion).
References

Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio Decima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm
Fauna Europaea
Norman H. Joy, , 1932 A Practical Handbook of British Beetles
Inaturalist