Temnoscheila caerulea Olivier, 1790 (Coleoptera, Trogossitidae) – new record for the Maltese Islands

Abstract

In 2018, the Plant Health Directorate forwarded to the author a beetle for identification purposes. The beetle was collected in a pheromone trap for Monochamus spp. as part of ongoing surveys carried out in Malta. The beetle was identified as Temnoscheila caerulea which belong to the family Trogossitidae. This family was recently reviewed by Kolibáč (2013) and about 600 described species are currently included in this group. Species of Temnoscheila are predatory with adults hunting xylophagous beetles on logs and branches of various trees and shrubs. Larvae live mostly under bark but sometimes dwell on the surface of wood as well. The bulk of Temnoscheila spp. are distributed in the two Americas with very few species present in the Palaearctic region. The family is locally represented by another recorded species. Information on both species is hereunder included.