Another type of two-horned darkling beetle - Platydema excavata

Platydema excavatum

… v belov, 7 May, 2009 - 9:10am

Thanks for the det.

Further in-detted to you now ;-) My Platydema stable is filling up.

… Jim McClarin, 7 May, 2009 - 1:28pm

Platydema sp.

Either Platydema teleops or excavatum. In those the males have horns, just like scarabs. If I consulted my former advisor's revision of the group, probably the name could be nailed down. Some day.

… Donald S. Chandler, 4 April, 2006 - 4:02pm

Could be either.

viewing images of each on the Wisconsin Tenebrionids site, I still can't decide. Their teleops has a larger length-to-width ratio and horns a little longer than this one's whereas their excavatum is closer in L:W ratio but has dinky horns compared to this one.

… Jim McClarin, 4 April, 2006 - 5:02pm

horn length is variable

They have major and minor males also. Looking at the variation in the collection, I decided a "no-call" was best.

… Donald S. Chandler, 4 April, 2006 - 6:42pm

Any idea why the horns are so

Any idea why the horns are so common among the tenebrionids, particularly the fungus feeding ones?

… Crystal Maier, 27 March, 2006 - 7:55am

Whether the males have head-butting contests over females I don't know, but that is the case in many beetle groups. Nor do I know whether this one is a fungus feeder.

… Jim McClarin, 27 March, 2006 - 7:08pm