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Species Phloeodes diabolicus - Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

ironclad beetle - Phloeodes diabolicus Diabolical Ironclad Beetle for California in July - Phloeodes diabolicus Nosoderma diabolicum - Phloeodes diabolicus Darkling Beetle? - Phloeodes diabolicus Phloeodes diabolicum ? - Phloeodes diabolicus Diabolical Ironclad Beetle - Phloeodes diabolicus FORD* Beetle - Phloeodes diabolicus Large Black Beetle - Phloeodes diabolicus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Tenebrionoidea (Fungus, Bark, Darkling and Blister Beetles)
Family Zopheridae (Ironclad Beetles)
Subfamily Zopherinae (Ironclad Beetles)
Tribe Zopherini
Genus Phloeodes
Species diabolicus (Diabolical Ironclad Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Nosoderma diabolicum LeConte, 1853
Nosoderma pustulosum LeConte, 1859
Phloeodes pustulosus Horn, 1870 - Please see Foley & Ivie (2008; ref. below) for a complete list of synonyms.
Note: the suffix -um used with Phloeodes, i.e. at Nearctica (and repeated at various websites) is incorrect, and was probably taken from Nosoderma diabolicum LeConte 1851.
Size
15-25 mm (Evans, 2007 (1))
elytra plus prothorax: 16 - 22 mm (García-Paris, et al, 2006 - see Reference below)
Identification
Dorsal color can vary from pale brown to dark gray. Apical part of elytra, as well as shoulders, have creamy brown to golden patches.
For a full redescription of this species please see García-Paris et al (2006) reference below. For photos of the type specimen see Internet Reference below.
Range
California
Habitat
Woodlands, Found under loose bark of oak, cottonwood
Season
All year
Remarks
update in progress - HW
Print References
Powell and Hogue, p. 297, fig. 386 (2)

García-Paris, M., M.M. Coca-Abia, & G. Parra-Olea. 2006. Re-evaluation of the genera Phloeodes, Noserus and Nosoderma (Coleoptera: Zopheridae) with description of a new species of Nosoderma from northern México.. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 42(2):215-230.
Foley, Ian A. and Michael A. Ivie. 2008. A phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Zopherini with a review of the species and generic classification (Coleoptera: Zopheridae). Zootaxa 1928: 1-72.
Internet References
Insectaculture--see note below on identification.
Type specimen at Harvard: N. diabolicum