Description
Steiner (2004) has identified Trachyscelis flavipes, described from Virginia by Melsheimer in 1946, as a synonym of the European T. aphodioides.
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animalia | Hexapoda | Insecta | Coleoptera | Tenebrionidae | Trachyscelis |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1846 | Unknown | Unknown | Introduced | Boundary Resident | Europe | Eurasia | Shipping(Dry Ballast; Shipping-Unspecified) |
History of Spread
The beetle Trachyscelis aphodioides (Tenebrionidae) is native to Mediterranean regions of Europe and North Africa, where its typical habitat is the high-tide line and driftlines of sandy beaches. Melsheimer in 1846, described T. flavipes from VA. Beetles identified as this species have been collected on the shores of the western Atlantic from MD to Brazil. Steiner (2004) has re-examined specimens of 'T. flavipes' and found no features distinguishing them from European T. aphodioides. He considers T. aphodioides to be a probable introduction to North and South America, and to Caribbean Islands, most likely carried in the dry ballast of sailing ships.
'Trachyscelis flavipes' was described in 1846 in VA, and subsequently collected from MD to Brazil. It is well-established in the Carbbean, but the most recent known specimen from the North American mainland was collected in MD in 1959 (Steiner 2004). North American records are listed from south to north:
LA- Trachyscelis aphodioides was collected by J. L. Leconte (at unknown locations) in the late 1800s, and by S. V. Summers in 1875 at Lake Ponchartrain (Steiner 2004).
FL- Three specimens of this insect were collected at Key Biscayne in the late 1800s (exact date not known) (Steiner 2004).
VA- Melsheimer described this 'T. flavipes' in 1846, giving 'Virginia' as the location. Most specimens are undated, but some at Fort Monroe, Norfolk VA, were collected in 1882, while some taken at Newport News were collected in 1889 (Steiner 2004).
MD- G. H. Horne and H. Ulke collected several specimens of this beetle in the late 1800s, but exact dates and locations are not known. In 1950, one specimen was collected at Kenwood Beach, Calvert County, and in 1959, another was found at nearby Flag Pond (Steiner 2004).
Steiner has not found this insect in the Chesapeake Bay region, in spite of numerous collections in littoral habitats. He (2004) attributes the disappearance of Trachyscelis aphodioides to intolerance of low temperatures. He suggests that there have been multiple introductions from Europe and established Caribbean populations. The 1950s MD records could be beetles blown north by hurricanes (Steiner 2004).
History References- Steiner 2004
Invasion Comments
None
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | ||||
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 38.0 | ||
| Oxygen | None | |||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | meso-poly |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
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| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Establishment of Trachyscelis aphodioides is unknown in the Chesapeake Bay region. This beetle may be extinct in continental North America (Steiner 2004), and is presumed to have no economic impacts.
References- Steiner 2004
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Trachyscelis aphodioides has not been collected in continental North America for nearly 50 years, and may be extinct (Steiner 2004. It is presumed to have no economic impacts in the U.S. It is established and abundant in the Caribbean, but as a small beetle burrowing in beach sand, apparently has no detectable effect on human activities.
References- Steiner 2004
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Establishment of Trachyscelis aphodioides is unknown in the Chesapeake Bay region. This beetle may be extinct in continental North America (Steiner 2004), and is presumed to have no impacts on native biota.
References- Steiner 2004
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Establishment of Trachyscelis aphodioides is unknown in the Chesapeake Bay region. This beetle may be extinct in continental North America (Steiner 2004), and is presumed to have no impacts on other exotic biota.
References- Steiner 2004