Clicker - Ampedus varipilis

Moved tent.

Keys well in Hatch and matches original description by Van Dyke (1932) well.

Moved from Ampedus.

… Blaine Mathison, 10 May, 2013 - 7:33am

Moved

Looks like cordifer or apicatus; what color is the pronotal setae? However, it's a bit small (if 8mm) for either of those (both usually at least 10mm).

Moved from Click Beetles.

… Blaine Mathison, 9 May, 2013 - 4:48am

Pronotal setae..

Most all is dark, black in color. I also double checked the length and the 8mm is just about right on.

… Gary Griswold, 9 May, 2013 - 1:58pm

thanks

It looked black to me on the enlarged image but that feature can be difficult to interpret from images. I will run it through the keys again in Hatch (1971) and Van Dyke (1932) tonight or the weekend and see.

Members of the cordifer-group are often separated by differences in the color (amount of black and/or orange, and how far they run up or down the elytra...). I am not sure how reliable this really is. I wonder if some names will become synonymous if the revision ever gets finished.

… Blaine Mathison, 9 May, 2013 - 2:17pm

Thank you..

for your help....

… Gary Griswold, 9 May, 2013 - 2:24pm

I wonder if a bunch of semicryptic spp will be added instead :]

… v belov, 9 May, 2013 - 2:19pm

I hope not...LOL

luckily clicker ppl tend to be clumpers rather than splitters. if we applied the same criteria as the carabid and scarab people do...look out! LOL

… Blaine Mathison, 9 May, 2013 - 2:22pm

well...

dealing with saproxylic beetles, the lumping attitude appears to be more appropriate; still, some places (like lush temperate hardwood forests) may well be Ampedus hot spots; understanding what is really going on takes an open mind.
there are examples where splitting has yielded a much clearer picture.

… v belov, 9 May, 2013 - 2:32pm