Featured speciesText © K. Reißmann, T. Hörren, M. Stern, F. Bötzl and C. Benisch
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08.01.2021
Niptus hololeucus (Fald., 1836)
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The 4 to 4.5 mm large Niptus hololeucus (family Ptinidae) earned its vernacular name Golden Spider Beetle due to its shiny metallic color. The synanthropic species was introduced from Russia to England for the first time in 1833 and spread from there around the world. They can be found in old buildings, e.g. timber-framed houses and multi-story buildings with wooden beam ceilings. They live and develop mainly in straw, which was used as filling and insulation material. They are nocturnal and hide in cracks and crevices during the day. Often the tenants are not aware of their presence at all, until renovation work is carried out which liberates the beetles from the wooden ceilings. Although they are regarded as a mechanical pest, the damages are only minor and they should rather be seen as nuisance pest. The species is not endangered. (KR)
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