Ampedus

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Ampedus: /ˈæm.pɛ.dəs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Summary

Ampedus is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae, containing around 461 species, primarily distributed in the Holarctic region. Larvae feed on decaying wood while adults are pollen-feeders. Conservation concerns exist for certain European species due to habitat loss.

Physical Characteristics

North American species of Ampedus beetles vary in size from 3-4mm, up to 13-14mm. Their coloration is variable, often bicolored. They can be identified by their complete, downturned, rounded frontal carina, and excavated prosternal sutures. Larvae are elongate, hard, and subcylindrical, with a rounded ninth abdominal segment ending in a sharp point and pointed nasales featuring a single tooth.

Identification Tips

Ampedus beetles can be identified by their bicolored appearance, complete downturned rounded frontal carina, and excavated prosternal sutures.

Habitat

Primarily found in temperate forests, preferring higher altitudes. Often collected from deciduous forests in the East and coniferous forests in the West in North America.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan, but mostly found in the Holarctic region, particularly in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Diet

Ampedus larvae feed on rotting wood, with a preference for wood in advanced stages of decay. Adults are known to feed on pollen.

Life Cycle

Larvae burrow in rotting wood, pupating in mid-summer, with the life cycle duration ranging from less than one year for smaller species to up to 4–5 years for larger ones. Adults emerge a few weeks after pupation, but remain in the pupal cell throughout the following winter.

Reproduction

Mating occurs with females attracting males through chemical communication using specialized pheromone glands. Eggs are laid in fallen wood, where larvae develop.

Conservation Status

Several species of European Ampedus beetles are considered endangered, mainly due to logging and wood harvesting threats affecting saproxylic beetles, as well as the impacts of salvage logging.

Ecosystem Role

As wood feeders, they play an important role in nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems.

Evolution

Ampedus was originally named by Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean in 1833. It has undergone various taxonomic assessments, showing some studies support monophyly while others suggest paraphyly due to the inclusion of the genus Reitterelator.

Similar Taxa

• Megapenthes

Tags

• Coleoptera
• Elateridae
• click beetles
• Ampedus
• Holarctic