Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Photo#160576
Amphizoa insolens

Amphizoa insolens
Ash Mountain, Tulare County, California, USA
July 3, 1982
Size: ca. 15 mm
The family is Amphizoidae. This trout beetle came from a slow moving stream at the 3,000' elev. They are usually dull black, but can be brown.

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Amphizoa insolens Amphizoa insolens

Found 'em!
Thought I'd follow up by saying I found a population in Utah County today. Now my only dilemma is figuring out if they are A. lecontei or A. insolens.

Dennis, did you collect this
Dennis, did you collect this specimen? If so, could you describe the setting -day or night, plain sight or burrowed in mud, etc. I will be doing some mad searching for A. lecontei in Utah this summer and I am trying to gage my sights.

 
Yes, I collected it.
It was in a pond at the end of a hydroelectric ditch. They appeared to hanging around under the floating leaves. I got them by scooping up the leaves and sorting through them for insects.

 
Wow, very interesting experience.
I just talked to Dr. Baumann who specializes in aquatic insects today; He told me out of the dozen or so specimens of A. lecontei that he's collected, all of which were "scooped out of the mud with an aquatic net." He said "I would be lucky to find them any other way." Although, some have reportedly been found in the open, but I wonder how rare that really is. I wonder if the leaves gave them enough cover to feel safe outside the soil. Thanks for sharing!

beetle
What do beetles eat and drink?

 
These specific beetles eat sm
These specific beetles eat small invertebrates they find by searching around at night and drink regular fresh water. Beetles in general eat everything from rotting wood, fruit, dung, to carrion, and everything in between.

Moved

Two new families and a bunch
Two new families and a bunch of new genera! Quite the set of contributions!

 
This picture is just to hold
I've updated the picture. Its much sharper now.