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Photo#108300
Featherwinged Beetle - Ptenidium

Featherwinged Beetle - Ptenidium
Richmond Hill, York Region, Ontario, Canada
May 6, 2007
Size: 0.75 mm
Collected by sifting through decaying grass pile. Of the thirty-three Ptiliid species found in Canada, only two species are listed (CNC Checklist) to occur in Ontario: Ptiliola collani and Ptiliopycna moerens. Compared with Richard's Ptiliola, this specimen has no serrations of any kind, whether along pronotal or elytral lateral ridges (verified by viewing through a hand-held scope).
Would this make the specimen the latter? I have certain doubts; I guess it would be difficult to be completely conclusive given this family of very tiny beetles - you never know how many species there really are out there.

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Featherwinged Beetle - Ptenidium Featherwinged Beetle - Ptenidium

Moved

For small, poorly collected g
For poorly collected groups of small insects it's not a good idea to base identifications on what is 'known' from your locale... I'm sure the actual number of species that occurs in Ontario is several times that number

 
No doubt about that
I'm leaving it at family level. Much safer that way. Better a no-ID than a mis-ID.

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