Ampedus

''Ampedus'' is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. There are currently 461 recognized species of ''Ampedus'' beetles. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, but is found mostly in the Holarctic region, primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The oldest known fossil from this genus was found in Eocene Baltic amber, estimated to be from 38.0–33.9 million years ago.

Natural history

Life cycle

''Ampedus'' larvae burrow in rotting wood, pupating in mid-summer. The larvae feed on wood, with a preference for wood in more advanced stages of decay, and are also observed to be cannibalistic on other saproxylic larvae. They emerge as adults a few weeks later, but remain in the pupal cell through the following winter. Adult ''Ampedus'' beetles are thought to be diurnal. As adults, they are pollen-feeders, found in large numbers on flowers and vegetation. ''Ampedus'' females attract males for mating through chemical communication, using specialized pheromone glands, and lay their eggs in fallen wood to develop. Life cycle duration has been estimated to range from less than one year for smaller species, to up to 4-5 years for larger ones.Ramberg, Frank Baker. 1979. A Revision of the Species of the Genus Ampedus (Coleoptera, Elateridae) of America North of Mexico. Doctoral Thesis. Cornell University

Habitat

''Ampedus'' beetles are primarily found in temperate forests, with a preference for higher altitudes. They are generalists, with a single species often found in both hardwood and softwood, and on multiple different tree species. In North America, they are most commonly collected from deciduous forests in the East and from coniferous forests in the West.

Description

North American species of ''Ampedus'' beetles vary in size from 3-4mm, up to 13-14mm. Their coloration is variable, even within species, but they are often bicolored. They can be identified by their complete, downturned, rounded frontal carina, and excavated prosternal sutures. Like the larvae of other Elaterids (wireworms), ''Ampedus'' larvae are elongate, hard, and subcyclindrical. The ninth abdominal segment, which varies in shape between elaterid larvae, is rounded in this genus, ending in a sharp point. ''Ampedus'' larvae have pointed nasales, featuring a single tooth.

Taxonomy

The genus was originally named by the French entomologist Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean in 1833, previously Elater. One taxonomic study of the genera within the tribe Ampedini, which used nuclear and mitochondrial data, found monophyly of ''Ampedus'' to be highly supported. Another molecular study using DNA barcoding data found ''Ampedus'' to be paraphyletic, with the genus ''Reitterelator'' nested within it. Megapenthes is the most closely related North American genus to ''Ampedus''.

Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, multiple species of European ''Ampedus'' beetles are considered endangered, mostly due to the threats posed by logging and wood harvesting to saproxylic beetles. They are also negatively impacted by salvage logging, the practice of removing wind-thrown trees after storms and other natural disturbances.

Species

Ampedus tristis1.jpg, ''Ampedus tristis''
Ampedus nigricollis.jpg, ''Ampedus nigricollis''

* ''Ampedus aethiops'' (Lacordaire, 1835)
* ''Ampedus amamiensis'' Ôhira, 1968
* ''Ampedus anthracinus'' (LeConte, 1869)
* ''Ampedus apicalis'' (Reitter, 1889)
* ''Ampedus apicatus'' (Say, 1834)
* '' Ampedus areolatus'' (Say, 1823)
* '' Ampedus aritai'' Ohira & SatO, 1964
* ''Ampedus assingi'' Schimmel, 1996
* ''Ampedus atripennis'' (Horn, 1871)
* ''Ampedus azurescens'' (Candeze, 1865)
* '' Ampedus balcanicus'' Dolin, 1983
* '' Ampedus balteatus'' (Linnaeus, 1758)
* '' Ampedus behrensi'' (Horn, 1871)
* '' Ampedus brevis'' (Van Dyke, 1932)
* '' Ampedus callegarii'' Platia & Gudenzi, 2000
* '' Ampedus canalicollis'' (Lewis, 1894)
* '' Ampedus canaliculatus'' (Reitter, 1918)
* '' Ampedus carbonicolor'' (Eschscholtz, 1829)
* '' Ampedus carbunculus'' (Lewis, 1879)
* '' Ampedus cardinalis'' (Schiödte, 1865)
* '' Ampedus carinthiacus'' Bouwer, 1984
* ''Ampedus cinnaberinus'' (Eschscholtz, 1829)
* ''Ampedus coenobita'' (Costa, 1881)
* ''Ampedus collaris'' (Say, 1825)
* ''Ampedus cordifer'' (LeConte, 1859)
* ''Ampedus fastus'' (LeConte, 1884)
* ''Ampedus forticornis'' (Schwarz, 1900)
* ''Ampedus francolinus'' Bouwer, 1984
* ''Ampedus fuentei'' Sanchez-Ruiz, 1996
* '' Ampedus fuscatus'' (Melsheimer, 1846)
* ''Ampedus glycereus'' (Herbst, 1784)
* ''Ampedus hispanicus'' Platia & Gudenzi, 1999
* ''Ampedus hypogastricus'' (Candèze,1873)
* '' Ampedus impressicollis'' Bouwer, 1984
* ''Ampedus japonicus'' Silfverberg, 1977
* ''Ampedus karneri'' Schimmel, 1996
* ''Ampedus koschwitzi'' Schimmel, 1990
* ''Ampedus laesus'' (LeConte, 1853)
* ''Ampedus linteus'' (Say, 1839)
* ''Ampedus luctuosus'' (LeConte, 1853)
* ''Ampedus macedonicus'' Schimmel, 1996
* ''Ampedus magistrettii'' Platia & Schimmel, 1988
* ''Ampedus mannerheimi'' Suzuki, 2013
* ''Ampedus melanotoides'' Brown, 1933
* ''Ampedus melsheimeri'' (Leng, 1918)
* ''Ampedus militaris'' (Harris, 1836)
* ''Ampedus minos'' Wurst, 1997
* '' Ampedus mixtus'' (Herbst, 1806)
* ''Ampedus moerens'' (LeConte, 1861)
* ''Ampedus nigricans'' Germar, 1844
* ''Ampedus nigricollis'' (Herbst, 1806)
* ''Ampedus nigrinus'' (Herbst, 1784)
* ''Ampedus nigroflavus'' (Goeze, 1777)
* ''Ampedus occidentalis'' Lane, 1971
* ''Ampedus ochrinulus'' (Reitter, 1887)
* ''Ampedus ochropterus'' Germar, 1844
* ''Ampedus ogatai'' Kishii, 1983
* ''Ampedus optabilis'' (Lewis, 1894)
* ''Ampedus oregonus'' (Schaeffer, 1916)
* ''Ampedus orientalis'' (Lewis, 1894)
* ''Ampedus patricius'' (Gurjeva, 1957)
* '' Ampedus pauxillus'' (Lewis, 1894)
* ''Ampedus phelpsii'' (Horn 1874)
* '' Ampedus phoenicopterus'' Germar, 1844
* ''Ampedus pomonae'' (Stephens, 1830)
* ''Ampedus pomorum'' (Herbst, 1784)
* ''Ampedus pooti'' Wurst, 1995
* ''Ampedus praeustus'' (Fabricius, 1792)
* ''Ampedus pulcher'' (Baudi, 1871)
* ''Ampedus pullus'' Germar, 1844
* '' Ampedus puniceus'' (Lewis, 1879)
* ''Ampedus pusio'' Germar, 1844
* ''Ampedus pyrenaeus'' Zeising, 1981
* ''Ampedus quadrisignatus'' (Gyllenhal, 1817)
* ''Ampedus quebecensis'' Brown, 1933
* ''Ampedus rhodopus'' (LeConte, 1857)
* ''Ampedus rubricollis'' (Herbst, 1806)
* ''Ampedus rubricus'' (Say, 1825)
* ''Ampedus rugosus'' Schimmel, 1982
* ''Ampedus sanguineus'' (Linnaeus, 1758)
* ''Ampedus sanguinipennis'' (Say, 1823)
* '' Ampedus sanguinolentus'' (Schrank, 1776)
* ''Ampedus sayi'' (LeConte, 1853)
* ''Ampedus sellatus'' (Leng, 1918)
* ''Ampedus semicinctus'' (Randall, 1838)
* ''Ampedus sinuatus'' Germar, 1844
* ''Ampedus soboensis'' Ohira, 1963
* ''Ampedus subcostatus'' (Kolbe, 1886)
* ''Ampedus talamellii'' Platia & Gudenzi, 2000
* ''Ampedus tamba'' Kishii, 1976
* ''Ampedus tenuistriatus'' (Lewis, 1894)
* ''Ampedus tokugoensis'' W. Suzuki, 1985
* ''Ampedus tristis'' (Linnaeus, 1758)
* ''Ampedus vandalitae'' Lohse, 1976
* ''Ampedus varipilis'' (Van Dyke, 1932)
* '' Ampedus vitiosus'' (LeConte, 1853)
* ''Ampedus xanthomus'' Germar, 1844
* ''Ampedus ziegleri'' Zeising & Sieg, 1983
* † ''Ampedus seyfriedii'' Heer, 1847

References

Further reading

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External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q2068124

Elaterinae