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Photo#37561
big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus

big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus
Nashua and Hollis, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
November 6, 2005
Size: 2 mm
Well, what else *should* I call them? They were flying in November, they're small and tan and they come in two sizes, with the smaller size (this one) having an eye diameter of about two-thirds the distance between antennal bases -- the other type about one-half the same dimension. I don't know if this represents sexual (or some other) dimorphism, or two similar species.

These linked images are almost certainly of different individuals of the 2mm type, taken on V A R I O U S dates between Nov. 1 and Nov. 7, which it is impossible to communicate in the date field on this site.

Amusingly, during the flight period for these beetles, I undertook to discover what bizarre new species (to me anyway) might inhabit an old bluejay nest. I concocted a Berlese funnel sort of thing to drive the mysterious inhabitants away from the lightbulbs, down through the nest material, and into the cool, moist, dark chamber below. I got one insect for my troubles -- one of these (smaller of the two forms) beetles. I'm fairly convinced it just happened to land in the nest, as they were landing on everything else during this week-or-so period.

Images of this individual: tag all
big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus big-eyed small tan autumn beetles - Cryptophagus

Moved

genus Cryptophagus
. . . easy to discriminate by the anteriour edges of the pronotum ridged to dentate, and lateral margin with a bigger tooth (not clearly visible on the images).

cheers, Boris

 
Excellent!
One we can move to genus! Thanks, Boris.

Looks similar to
this beetle that came to my UV lights the previous month:


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