Animalia > Arthropoda > Insecta > Coleoptera > Tenebrionidae > Polposipus > Polposipus herculeanus

Polposipus herculeanus (Fregate Island Giant Tenebrionid Beetle)

Synonyms: Pulposipes herculenaus

Wikipedia Abstract

Polposipus herculeanus, the Frégate Island giant tenebrionid beetle or Frégate beetle, is a flightless species of beetle in family Tenebrionidae. It is endemic to Frégate Island in the Seychelles. It grows to be about 20–30 mm long and has a hard, rounded abdomen covered with tubercles. There appears to be no sexual dimorphism. They are largely arboreal, sheltering under the bark of trees, beneath the crooks of branches, and within bushes during the day. They are believed to be nocturnal, descending to the forest floor at night, though never travelling far. This behaviour may help them to avoid predators such as the Wright's Skink and the Seychelles magpie-robin. When in danger, chemicals will secrete from the defensive glands in the posterior of the beetle, which have a musky smell and st
View Wikipedia Record: Polposipus herculeanus

Endangered Species

Status: Vulnerable
View IUCN Record: Polposipus herculeanus

External References

Citations

Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0