About Blosyropus spinosus Redtenbacher, 1868
Blosyropus spinosus Redtenbacher, 1868 is one of the largest endemic beetles of New Zealand, reaching approximately 46 millimeters in length. This species is nocturnal and flightless. Within the Blosyropus genus, both sexes have shortened or fully reduced hind wings. The body of Blosyropus spinosus is dark brown and covered in yellowish hairs. Its primary identifying feature is a single short spine on each side of the head, positioned above the eyes and behind the antennae. It also has four spines located midway along the pronotum, the section of the thorax that sits in front of the elytra. This species is endemic to New Zealand, where individuals have been found in forests across many areas of the country. Its larvae have been recorded inside rotting logs from multiple tree types, including tawa, Dracophyllum, pōhutukawa, manoao (silver pine), and red beech, and also occur in podocarp forest. Blosyropus spinosus is classified as a Category I Threatened Species, with an indeterminate conservation status.
