Golden spider beetle
Species of beetle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The golden spider beetle, Niptus hololeucus, is a species of spider beetle in the family Ptinidae.[1][2]
| Golden spider beetle | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Family: | Ptinidae |
| Genus: | Niptus |
| Species: | N. hololeucus |
| Binomial name | |
| Niptus hololeucus (Faldermann, 1836) | |
Description
Niptus hololeucus is 3–4.5mm in length.[3] Its body is covered in silky golden hairs and fine scales.
Habitat
Niptus hololeucus may be a pest of a wide variety of cereal based food products.[3] In 1981 an account of an infestation of these beetles was located in a roof void above offices in Rotherham, U.K.[4] This was found to be due to wild pigeons which were nesting within the loft: the beetles and their larvae were feeding upon their waste matter.
Distribution
Gallery
Scanning electron microscope images of Niptus hololeucus
front and below
the claw
front
mouthpart
top front
