False Darkling Beetle - Scotochroa atra

thanks a ton guys -- great addition

makes perfect sense, too

Moved from Phloiotrya fusca.

… v belov, 11 February, 2013 - 7:38pm

comin round

What got you to S atra? (Just curious)

… Tim Moyer, 19 April, 2013 - 1:34pm

Phloiotrya fusca

now. P. vandoueri restricted to Palaearctic now.

… Donald S. Chandler, 20 October, 2012 - 12:08pm

Moved

Moved from False Darkling Beetles.

… tom murray, 14 September, 2008 - 12:09pm

pls see my spelling note below

… v belov, 14 September, 2008 - 12:12pm

Phloeotrya vandoueri

We have one 5 mm specimen (others up to 10), so maybe the 4 mm could be stretched to 5. This is not Ani*soxya - body proportions of Phloetrya more elongate, the pronotum is more coarsely punctured than elytra, and the antennomeres are more elongate.

… Donald S. Chandler, 14 September, 2008 - 11:46am

great; isn't 'vaudoueri' the right spelling?

just a handful of sites gives 'vandoueri' and i believe that to be misprinted

… v belov, 14 September, 2008 - 12:01pm

Info page

Is the other in use enough to make it worth mentioning on the info page?

… John R. Maxwell, 4 April, 2009 - 8:53am

sweet...

way too small for a Xylita... are there any 4-mm Xylita spp. arounf here? Anisoxya... i wish i had a better idea...

… v belov, 4 August, 2008 - 6:18am

uncertain,

I'd need a ventral shot to have even a chance of going any further, as there looks to be about a dozen northeastern species in this size range and color.

From D&A, Xylita has 2: the smallest, X. livida, starts at 4.7mm (description sounds too dark). Anisoxya has only one: A. glaucula, 3.0-4.5mm. Seen from the MCZ here, at least looks like a good possibility. Also from the MCZ Scotochroa atra looks similar, but again is a little too dark.

… Tim Moyer, 4 August, 2008 - 9:13pm

This is the only picture

And I don't have the beetle any longer. I measured the beetle, and the measurement is accurate within .2mm. A. glaucula is a good possibility, but I don't think it's sure enough to move. Thanks Tim.

… tom murray, 4 August, 2008 - 9:20pm

Thanks Robert

It looks like you're right calling this a False Darkling Beetle.

… tom murray, 3 August, 2008 - 9:49pm

I don't think....

it is a false click beetle. The form, especially the pronotum doesn't fit with any species I know in NE USA. It looks like a member of the Melandryidae. Since the tarsi are a little out of focus, I cannot tell if the metathoracic legs contain 4 tarsal segments, typical for members of the superfamily Tenebrionoidea.

… Robert Otto, 3 August, 2008 - 9:11pm