Anthrenus zahradniki
Species of beetle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthrenus zahradniki is a species of carpet beetle in the family Dermestidae, belonging to the subgenus Nathrenus. It was described by Czech entomologist Jiří Háva in 2003 from specimens collected in Turkey.[1] The species is found across the eastern Mediterranean, with records from Turkey, the Greek islands of Chios and Rhodes, Cyprus, and Lebanon.[2][3]
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| Anthrenus zahradniki | |
|---|---|
| |
| Anthrenus verbasci, a closely related species in the same subgenus (Nathrenus). No photograph of A. zahradniki is available. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Family: | Dermestidae |
| Genus: | Anthrenus |
| Subgenus: | Nathrenus |
| Species: | A. zahradniki |
| Binomial name | |
| Anthrenus zahradniki Háva, 2003 | |
Taxonomy
Anthrenus zahradniki was first described by Jiří Háva in 2003 in the journal Klapalekiana, published by the Czech Entomological Society.[1] It is classified within the subgenus Nathrenus Casey, 1900, and placed in the "verbasci" species group alongside its closest known relative, Anthrenus biskrensis Reitter, 1887.[2] Háva's original description compares the two species in detail and provides diagnostic illustrations.[1]
The specific epithet zahradniki is a Latinised genitive patronym honouring Petr Zahradník, a Czech entomologist at the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute in Prague who specialises in the taxonomy of Ptinidae and Bostrichidae.[1][4]
Fauna Europaea and some other databases have listed the species under the subgenus Florilinus rather than Nathrenus.[5] However, the original description explicitly places it in Nathrenus, and this classification is followed by Háva's regularly updated World Dermestidae Catalogue.[2]
Description
Like other members of the genus Anthrenus, A. zahradniki is a small, rounded beetle, with the genus ranging from 1.8 to 4 mm in body length.[6] The dorsal surface is covered in fine, petal-shaped scales of varying colours, typically white, brown, yellowish, and dark, that form species-specific patterns on the elytra. These scales wear off with age, revealing the shining black cuticle beneath.[6]
As a member of the subgenus Nathrenus, the species is characterised by 11-segmented antennae terminating in a club (larger in males than females), and by lacking an indentation on the inner margin of the eye, a feature that distinguishes Nathrenus from the nominate subgenus Anthrenus.[7] Body scales in Nathrenus are generally more than twice as long as wide.[7]
The original description distinguishes A. zahradniki from the very similar A. biskrensis through differences in scale patterning and male genitalic structure.[1]
Distribution
Anthrenus zahradniki has an eastern Mediterranean distribution. It was originally described from Turkey (the type locality).[1] Subsequent records have extended its known range to the Greek islands of Chios and Rhodes, Cyprus, and Lebanon.[2][3] Háva and Németh published the first record from Lebanon in 2016.[3]
The distribution of A. zahradniki is complementary to that of its closest relative, A. biskrensis, which occurs across the western and central Mediterranean (Italy, Malta, Spain, and North Africa).[2]
As of 2026, no digitised occurrence records for the species exist in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF); the species is known primarily from museum specimens documented in taxonomic literature.[5]
Ecology
No species-specific ecological studies of A. zahradniki have been published. Its biology is presumed to follow the general pattern well established for the genus Anthrenus.[6][8]
Adults
Adult Anthrenus beetles are pollen and nectar feeders, commonly found on flowers of Apiaceae and Asteraceae.[8][9] They are active fliers during spring and summer and function as minor pollinators of the plants they visit.[8] Adults live for approximately two weeks.[9]
Larvae
Larvae are the destructive life stage, feeding on dry animal-derived materials rich in keratin, including fur, feathers, wool, shed skin, and dried insect remains.[8][9] In natural habitats, larvae are typically found in bird nests, bat roosts, and tree hollows where such debris accumulates.[10] They are covered in long defensive hairs known as hastisetae, a characteristic shared across the genus.[6] Several Anthrenus species are significant pests of museum collections and textiles, though there is no evidence that A. zahradniki has pest status.[11]
Life cycle
Anthrenus beetles undergo complete metamorphosis. Females lay 35 to 100 eggs, which hatch in one to three weeks. The full life cycle takes 4 to 12 months depending on temperature and food availability.[9]
The majority of Anthrenus species are associated with semiarid regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa.[6]
Conservation status
Anthrenus zahradniki has not been assessed by the IUCN Red List or any other conservation body.[5]
