Blaps polychresta
Egyptian Beetle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blaps polychresta, commonly known as the Egyptian beetle, South African beetle or cellar beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. This species is a popular pet and can live up to 4-5 years.[1][unreliable source?] Although this species is introduced to Australia and America, it is not considered a pest, and is rather commonly found in chicken coops where the chickens feast on this species.[2]
| Blaps polychresta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Blaps polychresta in Queensland, Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Tenebrionidae |
| Genus: | Blaps |
| Species: | B. polychresta |
| Binomial name | |
| Blaps polychresta (Forskål, 1775) | |
Taxonomy
Distribution
The species is found naturally across from Syria to Egypt, but has also been introduced to Australia, particularly Southern Australia and Western Victoria via European Clipper ships carrying grain, and to Northern America.[4][5]