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| Two-spotted Ground Beetle - Anthia thoracica | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 6 2014, 01:54 PM (1,447 Views) | |
| linnaeus1758 | Jun 6 2014, 01:54 PM Post #1 |
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Two-spotted Ground Beetle - Anthia thoracica![]() Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Carabidae Subfamily: Anthiinae Genus: Anthia Species: Anthia thoracica (Thunberg, 1784) Size: 40-53 mm. Range: Namibia, Tanzania and South Africa. Description Beetles in the genus Anthia are some of the largest and most conspicuous representatives of the family Carabidae in sub-Saharan Africa. Body is black, with an ovate patch of yellowish setae on each lateral extension of the pronotum and a band of whitish reclinate setae on the lateral margins of elytra. Pronotum has broad lateral flanges and elytra are ovate and smooth, with eight linear striae. Mandibles elongate and sickle-shaped in male, short and stout in female. Males exhibit considerable variation in the size and length of mandibles and in the size of the basal flange on the pronotum. Females also exhibit some variability in overall body size. Ecology These beetles are large, powerful predators that rely on speed and agility for capturing prey, and since they are also flightless these characteristics come in handy for avoiding becoming prey themselves. Failing that, they employ chemical defense in the form of secretions from a pygidial gland located in the area of the ninth abdominal segment. The chemical cocktail within these secretions contains concentrated organic acids or quinone that can be squirted at potential predators in a strong jet. This is an effective deterrent to small mammalian and avian predators. Is largely restricted to Africa and is especially diverse and abundant in the arid, sandy Karoo and Kalahari regions of southern Africa. Edited by Taipan, Jun 6 2014, 10:25 PM.
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6:22 PM Jul 11