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