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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Flower, Flat Bark and Ladybird Beetles (Cucujoidea) » Cryptic Slime Mold Beetles (Sphindidae) » Eurysphindus » Eurysphindus comatulus
Photo#58058
ID please - Eurysphindus comatulus
Copyright © 2006 Jim McClarin

ID please - Eurysphindus comatulus
Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
June 16, 2006
Size: 1.7 - 1.9 mm
I'm just kidding. I don't expect you to tell me what species these beetles are from this image. This is how these beetles looked when I found them. I gave them a bath after snapping a few shots of them in their natural condition. I'll post those pix here after I catch a wink or two. (Running my UV lights tonight. Have to sleep a little here, a little there :-) Meanwhile, these beetles' condition might provide an important clue. Have fun guessing.

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ID please - Eurysphindus comatulus Slime Mold Beetles - Eurysphindus comatulus Slime Mold Beetles - Eurysphindus comatulus Slime Mold Beetles - Eurysphindus comatulus Slime Mold Beetles - Eurysphindus comatulus Slime Mold Beetle host fungus - Eurysphindus comatulus
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Contributed by Jim McClarin on 16 June, 2006 - 9:37pm
Last updated 22 May, 2007 - 5:00pm

Moved
Moved from Cryptic Slime Mold Beetles.
… Jim McClarin, 22 May, 2007 - 5:00pm login or register to post comments

bath technique?
what's your preferred bath technique? I've been collecting from a light trap alot this year, but if I don't get the trap inside before
the majority of the moths arrive, the beetles tend to look quite fuzzy (the little green leaf hoppers are also being a real pain this time of year, as they seem to be naturally sticky :). Is alcohol a good media, or perhaps just soap and water?
Thanks,
Tim
… Tim R. Moyer, 1 August, 2006 - 12:29pm login or register to post comments

 
It depends
on what size they are. If they are big enough so I needn't worry about washing them down the drain, I just hold them under running tap water while rubbing them all over with my thumb. Then, holding them securely, I give them a few half-strength blasts from a canned air container -- also a good thing for blowing dust and water droplets off camera lenses.

If they are too small for the first technique, I put a few drops of water in the palm of my hand and stir the beetle around in it with one finger. These I usually blow on orally to help them dry out.

Of course these are cleaning techniques for live beetles so I don't use anything that might unduly irritate them.
… Jim McClarin, 1 August, 2006 - 5:50pm login or register to post comments

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