Prosternon tessellatum

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

Prosternon tessellatum
Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Family:	Elateridae
Genus:	Prosternon
Species:	P. tessellatum
Binomial name
Prosternon tessellatum (Linnaeus, 1758) [1]

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).