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Calendar
BugGuide Gathering
Pack Forest
Washington State
July 10-12, 2009
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Photos from the 2008 gathering in Tennessee
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

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Species Gibbifer californicus

Rough Fungus Beetle - Gibbifer californicus Pretty blue bug - Gibbifer californicus Unknown Colorado Beetle - Gibbifer californicus Painted Beetle? - Gibbifer californicus Gibbifer californicus Pleasing Fungus Beetle Exuviae - Gibbifer californicus Gibbifer californicus Erotylidae - Gibbifer californicus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Cucujoidea (Flower, Flat Bark and Ladybird Beetles)
Family Erotylidae (Pleasing Fungus Beetles)
Subfamily Erotylinae (Pleasing Fungus Beetles)
Genus Gibbifer
Species californicus (Gibbifer californicus)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Cypherotylus asperus
Cypherotylus californicus
described in 1842 by Lacordaire who originally placed it in genus Erotylus
Size
14-18 mm
Identification
Elongated and oval in shape. Head and thorax black, elyrtra dull yellow or purplish and rough, with black spots.
Range
Southwestern United States: Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, south into Mexico
Habitat
Meadows, fields, woodlands, gardens
Season
Summer
Food
Adults feed on nectar, pollen, and some fungi. Larvae feed on fungi that are attacking wood.
Life Cycle
Female lays eggs in bark crevices of fallen, rotting logs. Adults emerge in summer (1).
Print References
Milne, p. 579, plate 139 (1)
Arnett and Jacques, #138 (2)
White, plate 5 (3)
Internet References
Texas Entomology live adult image and species account (Mike Quinn, Texas)
Pleasing Fungus Beetles of North America Family Erotylidae pinned adult image and species account (Paul Skelley, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
Amazilla.net live adult images from Arizona (Allen Chartier, Michigan)
Works Cited
1.National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
By Lorus and Margery Milne
2.Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects
By Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Dr. Richard L. Jacques
3.Peterson Field Guides: Beetles
By Richard E. White