Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Ischyrus quadripunctatus - Four-Spotted Fungus Beetle

orange beetle - Ischyrus quadripunctatus Four-Spotted Fungus Beetle - Ischyrus quadripunctatus Ischyrus quadripunctatus (Olivier) - Ischyrus quadripunctatus Four-Spotted Fungus Beetle - Ischyrus quadripunctatus unknown beetle sp. - Ischyrus quadripunctatus Erotylid - Ischyrus quadripunctatus Four-spotted beetle - Ischyrus quadripunctatus Beetle - Ischyrus quadripunctatus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Cucujoidea
No Taxon (Erotylid series)
Family Erotylidae (Pleasing Fungus Beetles)
Subfamily Erotylinae (Pleasing Fungus Beetles)
Tribe Tritomini
Genus Ischyrus
Species quadripunctatus (Four-Spotted Fungus Beetle)
Explanation of Names
Ischyrus quadripunctatus (Olivier 1791)
quadripunctatus 'four-spotted'
Numbers
2 sspp. in our area(1)
Size
4.8-8.1 mm(2)
Identification
larvae
Range
e. N. Amer., AZ - Map (3), mostly e. US to c. TX
I. q. quadripunctatus QC-FL to MB-TX to S America;
I. q. chiasticus sw US & Mexico(2)(4)(1)
Habitat
adults under rubbish in winter and on fungi in summer(5)
Season
adults come to lights almost year-round in c.TX. =v=
Food
soft polypores(2)
Remarks
Typically found in reasonably large groups.
Pattern is likely aposematic. These beetles were seen to be ignored by an insectivorous Five-lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus, in Orange Co., NC--the beetles even brushed against the basking skink while traversing a log! (Personal observation, P. Coin, 5/21/10)
Works Cited
1.Skelley P.E. (2001) Pleasing fungus beetles of North America: Family Erotylidae
2.Beetles of Eastern North America
Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton University Press.
3.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
4.Checklist of beetles (Coleoptera) of Canada and Alaska. Second edition
Bousquet Y., Bouchard P., Davies A.E., Sikes D.S. 2013. ZooKeys 360: 1–402.
5.A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America
Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence. 1961. Row, Peterson, and Company.