Polposipus herculeanus

(Solier, 1848)

Vernacular names
English : Frégate Island giant beetle
French : Coléoptère de l’Île Frégate

Classification
Class : Insecta
Order : Coleoptera
Family : Tenebrionidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Up to 3 cm total length. Coloration entirely dark grey. Abdomen is round and covered with tubercles.

Range and habitat
Endemic to Frégate island on the Seychelles archipelago. Mostly found in lowland and midland tropical forests.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : VULNERABLE
CITES : Not listed
Status : Formerly treated as Critically Endangered because of predation by introduced rats. The rats have been eradicated. The species has a very small range and, while being safe at the moment, can become threatened again easily.
Ex-Situ Programs : EEP en Europe

Observation

 

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