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Photo#209363
all-dark elmid - Stenelmis

all-dark elmid - Stenelmis
Louden, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, USA
July 27, 2008
Size: est. 3 mm
This is the only shot of the topside of this beetle that I seem to recall collecting from an underwater river rock. I placed it in an open 1-qt. yogurt container along with two other elmids, some psephen*ids and some collected rain water. While the other two elmids died of unknown causes, this one apparently mounted the rock and took flight. Elmids are so slow and deliberate it is easy to forget that they have wings and know how to use them. Here you see it clinging to the bristles of a small artists' paintbrush, the only way I could get it to stay upright in the water.

Images of this individual: tag all
all-dark elmid - Stenelmis all-dark elmid - Stenelmis

Moved
Moved from Riffle Beetles.

Stenelmis sp.
Elmids often get covered by periphyton (plant-like protists) as a crust that completely obscures the elytral markings. If you REALLY want to identify one like this, the crust must be chipped off, or the elytra taken off so that you can see the pattern by looking at the underside of the elytron.

 
Scrape off crud
I would give that a try except that he flew the coop. Next time I'll know.

I count 18 elmid species on your NH checklist, Don. Lots more for me to collect.

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