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Genus Physea

Physea hirta LeConte - Physea hirta Physea hirta LeConte - Physea hirta Physea hirta LeConte - Physea hirta
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Adephaga
Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)
Subfamily Paussinae
Tribe Ozaenini
Genus Physea
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Physea Brulle, 1834

Synonyms:
Trachelizus Brulle, 1834
Trachelyzus Chenu, 1851
Explanation of Names
From Greek, meaning ampoule or bulb-shaped lamp.
Numbers
A single species in our area, 6 species total. (1)
P. latipes could potentially be found in Arizona. (2)

Species:
Physea hirta
Size
About 10 to 12 mm (2)
Identification

Adults are reddish to reddish-brown. Antennomeres 5-10 filiform. Tibiae are very flattened. (2)

A second species, P. latipes could occur in Arizona. To separate the species, note that Physea hirta has a uniform covering of short setae in addition to longer tactile setae, while Physea latipes lacks the short setae, having only the long tactile ones. (2)
Range
Neotropical group reaching from Argentina to Texas (2)

P. hirta ranges into Texas. Two species, P. hirta and P. latipes, are known from Mexico. (2)
Habitat
Two species, including P. hirta, have been collected in Atta ant nests. (1)
Works Cited
1.American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia
Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
2.The Middle American genera of the tribe Ozaenini with notes about the species in the southwestern United States and...
Ball, G.E. and McCleve, S. 1990. Quaestiones Entomologicae, 26: 30-116.