Nitidula

Fabricius, 1775

Species Guides

6

Nitidula is a of sap-feeding beetles in the Nitidulidae, first described by Fabricius in 1775. The genus contains approximately 20-23 described , though estimates vary among sources. Several species are associated with carrion and decaying organic matter, with some species such as N. carnaria and N. flavomaculata being utilized in forensic investigations due to their predictable of mammalian corpses during later stages of decay. Other species breed in carrion or are found in association with fermenting plant materials.

Nitidula ziczac by (c) Andrew Meeds, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Meeds. Used under a CC-BY license.Nitidula ziczac by (c) Andrew Meeds, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Meeds. Used under a CC-BY license.Nitidula ziczac by (c) Andrew Meeds, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Meeds. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Nitidula: //nɪˈtɪd.jʊ.lə//

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Distribution

Records from Denmark (DK), Norway (NO), and Sweden (SE) exist in GBIF. Specific distribution details for the as a whole are limited in available sources.

Diet

Sap-feeding; some associated with carrion and later stages of decay in mammalian corpses.

Ecological Role

Some serve as forensic indicators for postmortem interval estimation due to their association with carrion decomposition stages.

Human Relevance

such as Nitidula carnaria and N. flavomaculata have been used in forensic investigations. Natural history museums have employed related dermestid beetles for skeleton cleaning, though this specific application for Nitidula is not documented.

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Sources and further reading