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Telura vitticollis Erichson, 1842 (a species of scarab-beetle)

Basis for Tasmanian occurrence
Semmens, T.D., McQuillan, P.B. & Hayhurst, G. (1992). Catalogue of the Insects of Tasmania. Government of Tasmania: Department of Primary Industry, 104 pp.

TMAG collections

Classification
Order: Coleoptera

Suborder: Polyphaga

Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea

Family: Scarabaeidae

Subfamily: Melolonthinae

Tribe: Scitalini

Morphology
Typical length (mm): 14
Flightedness: winged and assumed capable of flight

Source literature on morphology and taxonomy (*primary taxonomic source, where identified):
*Erichson, W.F. (1842). Beitrag zur Insecten-Fauna von Vandiemensland, mit besonderer Beruecksichtung der geographischen Verbreitung der Insecten. Nicolai’schen Buchhandlung 8(1): 379 pages.

Ecology
Assumed larval feeding: wood-feeder
Association with dead wood or old trees: obligately saproxylic

Ecological attributes: — Affiliated with mature (unlogged) forest (Michaels, 1999) — Found under large logs (Grove et al., 2006) — May occupy logs or trunks of Eucalyptus obliqua, at least temporarily, since found having emerged within a year of felling (Grove & Bashford, 2003) — May occupy logs or trunks of Eucalyptus obliqua, at least temporarily, since found having emerged within six years of felling (Grove et al., 2009).

Collection method(s) for TFIC material: — At light (with use of light-trap) — Baited trapping (funnel trap) — Emergence trapping from cut trunk of Dicksonia antarctica (Jones, 2007) — Emergence trapping from log of Eucalyptus obliqua — Flight intercept trapping — Flight intercept trapping (trough below Malaise trap) — Hand collection (substrate not specified) — Hand collection from Eucalyptus nitens — Hand collection from under log of Eucalyptus sp. — Log-mounted flight intercept trapping — Malaise trapping — Pipe trapping — Pitfall trapping — Trunk window trapping (Harrison, 2007) — Vane trapping.

Source ecological literature:
Grove, S.J. & Bashford, R. (2003). Beetle assemblages from the Warra log decay project: insights from the first year of sampling. Tasforests 14: 117-129.
Grove, S.J. (2009b). Beetles and fuelwood harvesting: a retrospective study from Tasmania’s southern forests. Tasforests 18: 77-99.
Grove, S.J. et al. (2006). What lives under large logs in Tasmanian eucalypt forest? Tas. Nat. 128: 86-93.
Baker, S.C. (2000). Forest litter beetles and their habitat: a comparison of forest regenerated by wildfire and logging practices. Hons. thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Baker, S.C. (2006b). Ecology and conservation of ground-dwelling beetles in managed wet eucalypt forest: edge and riparian effects. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Daley, E. (2007). Wings: an introduction to Tasmania’s winged insects. Hobart: 40 Degrees South Pty. Ltd., 236 pages.
Driscoll, D. A. (1010). Few beetle species can be detected with 95% confidence using pitfall traps. Aust. Ecol. 35: 13-23.
Grove, S. et al. (2009). A long-term experimental study of saproxylic beetle … succession in Tasmanian Eucalyptus … logs… In: Fattorini, S. (Ed.), Insect Ecology and Conservation. Research Signpost, pp. 71-114.
Grove, S.J. & Yaxley, B. (2005). Wildlife habitat strips and native forest ground-active beetle assemblages in plantation nodes in northeast Tasmania. Aust. J. Entom. 44 (4): 331-343.
Harrison, K.S. (2007). Saproxylic beetles associated with habitat features in Eucalyptus obliqua trees in the southern forests of Tasmania. PhD thesis, Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Michaels, K.F. (1999a). Carabid beetles as biodiversity and ecological indicators. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Yee, M. (2005). The ecology and habitat requirements of saproxylic beetles native to Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests: potential impacts of commercial forestry practices. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Yee, M. et al. (2006). Brown rot in inner heartwood: why large logs support characteristic … beetle assemblages … In Grove, S.J. & Hanula, J.L. (eds.) Insect biodiv. and dead wood, pages 42-56. USDA For. Serv., SRS.

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