Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Sometimes listed as their own family, Omophronidae.
Explanation of Names
Blatchley, p. 39
(1) says
Omophron is Greek, meaning "savage-like".
Identification
Oval convex beetles with concealed
scutellum. Their shape distinguishes them from most, or all, other carabids:
Species ID--see figure:
Habitat
Found in wet sand along the shores of lakes and streams.
Season
Spring-summer, fall. February-July, September-October (O. americanum, South Carolina). March, May, August, September (O. americanum, North Carolina).
Food
Adults and larvae are predaceous, but the larvae occasionally feed on seedlings or crops planted in moist soil.
Life Cycle
Adults are active at night and are gregarious
(2).
Remarks
They may be found running over the sand or burrowing in it (particularly under stones), and may occasionally be found running over the surface of the water. They run when disturbed and seldom fly.
Print References
Sikes, p. 47, lists O. americanum, O. tesselatusm, for Rhode Island
(2).
Dillon, pp. 127-128, plate XIII--O. labiatum, O. tessellatum, O. americanum
(4)
Ciegler, p. 33, lists O. americanum, O. labiatum for South Carolina
(5).
Arnett and Jacques #85--photo of O. obliteratum
(7)
Salsbury, p. 164--photo of O. nitidum
(8)
BESCHOTER, C. A. and COOK, E. F. 1956 A revision of the genus Omophron (Coleoptera:Carabidae) of North America north of Mexico. Annuls of the Entomological Society of America, 49(5): 411-429
