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Genus Cysteodemus - Desert Spider Beetles

Desert Blister Beetle - Cysteodemus armatus

Weird Bug- looks like from space! - Cysteodemus armatus

Cysteodemus wislizeni LeConte - Cysteodemus wislizeni

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)

Superfamily Tenebrionoidea

Family Meloidae (Blister Beetles)

Subfamily Meloinae

Tribe Eupomphini

Genus Cysteodemus (Desert Spider Beetles)

Other Common Names

Desert Blister Beetle, Inflated Beetle(1)

Explanation of Names

Cysteodemus LeConte 1851

'living bag'

Numbers

2 spp., both in our area(2)

Size

7-18 mm(2)

Identification

The inflated and connate elytra separate this genus from all other meloids of our fauna(2)

C. armatus: Pronotum distinctly spinose laterally, disc abruptly declivous posteriorly; elytral reticula larger; legs of both sexes lacking tarsal pads; head moderately coarsely punctate, punctures moderately dense and ill-defined; dorsum black, often with a slight metallic tint and white to yellow-brown incrustation. Colorado & Mojave deserts.

C. wizlizenii: Pronotum angulate (at most tuberculate) laterally, never spinose, disc only slightly declivous posteriorly; elytral reticula smaller, more numerous; male pro- and mesotarsomeres I & II with heavy tarsal pads; head with coarse, dense punctures; dorsum shining, deep metallic blue/green/violet, lacking incrustation. Chihuahuan Desert.

Range

sw. US: Colorado, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts(2)

Habitat

Deserts(2)

Works Cited

1.	Field Guide to Beetles of California Arthur V. Evans and James N. Hogue. 2006. University of California Press.

2.	A taxonomic review of Cysteodemus, Phodaga, and Pleuropasta with a new generic synonymy Pinto J.D. 1984. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 86: 127-143.

Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 13 April, 2005 - 11:26am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Mike Quinn, Aaron Schusteff, v belov
Last updated 27 February, 2013 - 10:34am

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