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Photo#1158462
Beetle, dorsal live - Enaphalodes atomarius - male

Beetle, dorsal live - Enaphalodes atomarius - Male
Lincoln National Forest, Guadalupe Ranger District, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
August 5, 2015
Size: 30 mm
Download high resolution image here.

This beetle came to a mercury vapor lamp set-up on 05 August 2015 in Turkey Canyon at 5400 ft. elevation on Forest Road 527, Lincoln National Forest, Guadalupe Ranger District within Queen 7.5 minute quadrangle, Eddy Co., NM. Several other insect images from this event are posted.

The dorsal view alone indicates this beetle is either Enaphalodes atomarius or cortiphagus. Lingafelter and Chemsak's key(1) states, "Pubescence of metasternum primarily translucent" for the former and, "primarily white and not translucent" for the latter. The degree of translucence cannot determined from either the full ventral view or even the central metasterum closeup, since both images are taken with a highly diffused flash. One can see from the latter, though, that there are two distinct types of setae. The majority type are thicker, longer, and darker than the minority type. In the image of the metasterum with highly oblique illumination coming only from the left, one can see blurry irregular patterns of light coming from the majority type. These patterns shift as the perspective angle is changed when viewed under a stereo microscope with similar illumination. This indicates that it is refracted and diffused light passing through the setae. That is, it is translucent and, therefore, E. atomarius.

Images of this individual: tag all
Beetle, dorsal live - Enaphalodes atomarius - male Beetle, ventral - Enaphalodes atomarius - male Beetle, central metasterum close-up - Enaphalodes atomarius - male Beetle, central metasterum close-up obliquely lit from left - Enaphalodes atomarius - male