Norwegian Journal of Entomology - Norsk entomologisk forening

Uleiota planata (L. 1761) (Coleoptera, Silvanidae)
new to Norway
Arne Endre Laugsand
INTRODUCTION
The members of the family Silvanidae are
predatory beetles that both as larvae and imago
prey under bark of trees. According to Silfverberg
(2004), eight species of this family are earlier
recorded in Norway. Uleiota planata (L. 1761)
is common in central and southern Europe. In
northern parts of Europe it is known from Finland,
Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Russian
Karelia (Silfverberg 2004) and Britain (Allen
1992). The beetle probably became extinct in
Sweden during the last century, but during the last
decade there have been several records in Sweden,
but all specimens are interpreted to be connected
to import of timber. It is listed in The 2005 red
list of Swedish species in the category DD (data
deficient) (Gärdenfors 2005). In this paper the
first Norwegian specimens are presented and the
locality is described. Further, it is discussed how
to interpret and place these records in context to
the distribution of the species in Europe.
MATERIAL
Norw. J. Entomol. 53, 39-41, 22 May 2006
Laugsand, A. E. 2006. Uleiota planata (L. 1761) (Coleoptera, Silvanidae) new to Norway. Norw. J.
Entomol. 53, 39-41.
Uleiota planata (L. 1761) (Coleoptera, Silvanidae) is here reported new to Norway. The records and
the locality are described. In Sweden the beetle probably became extinct and all the records after
1930 are connected to import of timber. The species might have been displaced through competition
from the close relative Dendrophagus crenatus (Paykull, 1799). Observations on the locality also
exclude the possibility of direct import of the specimens on timber, but one possibility is a secondary
settlement in the natural habitat after import on foreign timber. However, it is possible that U. planata
has been present continuously in fragments of virgin forest. The locality deserves further attention.
Keywords: Uleiota planata, Dendrophagus crenatus, Silvanidae, Norway, Carabus cancellatus,
Coleoptera
Arne Endre Laugsand, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Mailadr: Erlandstuveien 23A, 1178 Oslo E-mail: arne.laugsand@gmail.com
Records
Five specimens of U. planata were found
beneath thick bark on logs of Betula pendula at
AK Bærum: Isi (EIS 28). Four ex (1 ♀, 3 ♀♀) on
7.V.2005, leg. Arne Endre Laugsand, and one ex
(♀) on 15.V.2005, leg. Christer Reiråskag.
How to recognize the species
U. planata could be confused with the common
and widely distributed Dendrophagus crenatus
(Paykull, 1799). However, the two species can
be separated on the shape of the pronotum which
in U. planata has spiny sharp edges whereas D.
crenatus has rounded corners (Figure 1). It is easy
to distinguish the sexes of U. planata, because
only the males has sickle-shaped horns arising
from the basal parts of the mandibles (Allen
1996). In Figure 1 this secondary sexual character
is visible between the first antennal segments
(scapi) and should not be confused with the
smaller mandibles.
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