Acanthocnemus

Acanthocnemus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Superfamily: Cleroidea
Family: Acanthocnemidae
Crowson, 1970
Genus: Acanthocnemus
Perris, 1867
Species:
A. nigricans
Binomial name
Acanthocnemus nigricans
(Hope, 1843[1])

Acanthocnemus nigricans is a species of cleroid beetle, the only species in the genus Acanthocnemus and the family Acanthocnemidae. Originally native to Australia, the species has spread in modern times to numerous parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, India and Southeast Asia. The insects are pyrophilous, congregating around areas of recently burned wood, being attracted to chemicals found in wood smoke.[2][3] They have specialised infrared receptors located on the thorax close to the head, used to detect heat. Their life cycle is poorly understood, though mating and egg-laying likely occurs within ash.[4] The larvae are possibly saprophagous.[3]

  1. ^ Hope, F. W. 1843. Descriptions of new species of insects collected at Adelaide in South-Western Australia by Mr. Fortnum. Proceedings of the Entomological Society for June 6, 1842. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (70) 11: 317–319
  2. ^ Paczkowski, Sebastian; Paczkowska, Marta; Dippel, Stefan; Flematti, Gavin; Schütz, Stefan (March 2014). "Volatile Combustion Products of Wood Attract Acanthocnemus nigricans (Coleoptera: Acanthocnemidae)". Journal of Insect Behavior. 27 (2): 228–238. doi:10.1007/s10905-013-9430-4. ISSN 0892-7553. S2CID 254701199.
  3. ^ a b Lawrence, John F. and Leschen, Richard A. B.. "9.7. Acanthocnemidae Crowson, 1964". Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim), edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 262-265.
  4. ^ Zhou, Zupeng; Gong, Yubing; Yang, Daoguo; Schmitz, Anke; Schmitz, Helmut (December 2016). "Function modeling of the infrared organ of "Little Ash Beetle" Acanthocnemus nigricans (Coleoptera, Acanthocnemidae)". Journal of Bionic Engineering. 13 (4): 650–658. doi:10.1016/S1672-6529(16)60336-0. ISSN 1672-6529. S2CID 89072728.