glossy black carabid - Amphasia sericea

Moved - Got it!

Moved from Ground Beetles.

Keyed right to here, but the description in Downie and Arnett is not exactly helpful or complete. But a walk through BugGuide brought me to the existing image which is a great match for yellow seta, rounded hind pronotal margins, and dark femur with light tibia/tarsis. Apparently a picture is sometimes worth several thousand words (or key couplets). Go BugGuide!

… Tim Moyer, 2 March, 2007 - 10:12pm

Harpalus ?

It could be an Harpalus sp. but I'm really not sure... is they are any pubescence on the prothorax (all over, or only on a part)? This could you to said the good genus.

… Pierre-Marc Brousseau, 21 February, 2007 - 3:11pm

pronotum hairy

the dorsal surface of the pronotum has the same short, blond pubescence that is visible on the elytra, only less dense. There are also 2 long seta just forward of middle on the lateral margins. The ventral surface looks bare.

I tried keying this quickly, and it seems like it could key to Harpalus, although to me segment one of the hind tarsi appears as long as next 2 combined, which would exclude Harpalus.

Any thoughts?
Tim

… Tim Moyer, 23 February, 2007 - 10:19pm

Not sure

With this informations, I can't told you with certitude the genus of this carab. But here some genera that I would have checked if I had it in my hand : Harpalus, Chlaenius and Anisodactylus. I still think that Harpalus is possible. The way that I see the tarsi on the picture, the first segment isn't unusually long for this genus, but I can be wrong.

… Pierre-Marc Brousseau, 24 February, 2007 - 2:17pm

Harpalus rufipes?

After more examination of the speciman and the literature, I'm inclined to think this is probably Harpalus rufipes. The biggest doubt I'm having is that all the web photos I've found (all from Europe) show at least some light brown on all the femurs, where as mine is all black.

… Tim Moyer, 24 February, 2007 - 11:03pm

The species description in Li

The species description in Lindroth (Carabidae of Canada) don't mention anything about the color of the femur. But it is said "Easily distinguished from the other members of the group by the pubescent base of prothorax, the dense, rather longt, yellowish vestiture of all elytral interval, and the sharp hind-angles of prothorax." So, check the caracters and you'll know if you're right or no.

… Pierre-Marc Brousseau, 25 February, 2007 - 5:27pm

thanks for the additional information

Based on the info you graciously provided, I'm forced to conclude this is NOT H. ruf*ipes. I posted another photo of the base of the pronotum which clearly shows the hind angles are not sharp. And they are not even close to those of the web photos I found, the best of which can be seen here.

But I also haven't been able to find anything else which seems to be a match. The dense yellow seta covering the elytra seems to be a bit unique for Harpalini, so I'd guess there are not that many other possibilities around here. I'm just not aware of what they are.

Thanks again for your persistence!

… Tim Moyer, 1 March, 2007 - 11:31am