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Photo#112468
Opisthius richardsoni
Copyright © 2007 Stephen Hart

Opisthius richardsoni
Olympic National Park, Clallam County, Washington, USA
May 22, 2007
Size: 1.0 cm
Identified from a photo by David H. Kavanaugh, Senior Curator of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences. Found on sandy, silty, and gravelly banks of medium to large streams all over western North America. More photos and a short video clip at Opisthius richardsoni.
Species page from University of Alberta says this species is similar to the genus Elaphrus (see below). Carabidae; Carabinae; Opisthiini

(Originally misidentified by comparison to a photo labelled Elaphrus riparius in Peter Haggard & Judy Haggard's Insects of the Pacific Northwest.)

Images of this individual: tag all
Opisthius richardsoni Opisthius richardsoni 2 - Opisthius richardsoni
Contributed by Stephen Hart on 25 May, 2007 - 5:03pm
Last updated 30 May, 2007 - 5:45am

Also see
Another sighting:
… Stephen Hart, 27 April, 2009 - 7:27pm

Moved
Moved from Carabinae. to species page, freshly erected.
… Boris Büche, 30 May, 2007 - 5:45am

I don´t know which species it is, but
. . . for sure not riparius. The latter I know well, and it is in fact very similar to the americanus picture.
… Boris Büche, 26 May, 2007 - 6:31am

 
Corrected ID
Right.
David H. Kavanaugh, Senior Curator of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, identified this for me from the photo as Opisthius richardsoni. Hope I've edited the entry correctly.
… Stephen Hart, 29 May, 2007 - 10:51am

 
What to check
Do you have a suggestion on how I could track this species down further? I have two specimens and a dissecting scope, but don't know where to find an appropriate key. I could also try to contact the Haggards.
… Stephen Hart, 26 May, 2007 - 11:45am

 
sorry,
. . . no idea about a key on nwearctic Elaphrus. someone else may know. The species you have looks pretty distinctive, and I guess it will easily been identified unless you have a key (or a specialist recognizes it).
… Boris Büche, 28 May, 2007 - 4:48am

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