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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Tenebrionoidea » Polypore Fungus Beetles (Tetratomidae) » Piseninae » Pisenus » Pisenus humeralis
Photo#1178028
cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis
Copyright © 2015 Steve Scholnick

cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis
Great Falls, C&O Canal NHP, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
December 27, 2015
Size: ~4mm
I think this is a cryptophagid beetle. The size and lack of any prominent bumps or teeth on the lateral edges of the prothorax seem to point to Antherophagus ochraceus but that doesn’t look right. What else I can glean from 2 papers on Cryptophaginae (1)(2) suggests that this beetle is too large to belong to one of the other cryptophagid genera. In short, I need some serious help with this one.

Thanks in advance.

(posted to ID Request because I’m not sure I have the right family)

Images of this individual: tag all
cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis cryptophagid beetle? - Pisenus humeralis
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Contributed by Steve Scholnick on 29 December, 2015 - 11:36pm
Last updated 30 December, 2015 - 9:16am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Blaine Mathison, 30 December, 2015 - 9:16am login or register to post comments

I keep coming back to Tenebrionoidea...
Typhaea stercorea was my first thought but didnt completely sit right with me; still leaning towards Mycetophagidae, Tenebrionidae, or Tetratomidae. I have no idea why this is giving me so much trouble. Will work on it if others don't get to it first.
I know when I find out what it is, I'll kick myself haha.
… Blaine Mathison, 30 December, 2015 - 6:14am login or register to post comments

 
Polypore Fungus Beetle?
The lack of parallel lines on the elytra seems to rule out most of the Hairy Fungus Beetles.
I think that it looks more like this one:
Pisenus humeralis: What do you think? Hey, don't kick yourself. This is not easy!
… Bob Biagi, 30 December, 2015 - 7:11am login or register to post comments

 
we'll go with that for now
Actually I pondered this species as well. I think I might of dismissed it because I couldn't see any discernible maculae on your.
… Blaine Mathison, 30 December, 2015 - 9:17am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks to both of you
That looks much more reasonable than my choice. One question: what/which "maculae" are you referring to?
… Steve Scholnick, 30 December, 2015 - 7:35pm login or register to post comments

 
Blaine seems to refer to the humeral areas...
...that tend to be a bit lighter/reddish in this species (thus the trivial name), rather than concolorous with the rest of the elytron, like in your specimen

the beetle is hardly ever seen during the warmer season but can be extremely abundant in polypores from late fall thru the winter, when many bugguiders hibernate -- the reason why it evades being photographed
… v belov, 28 June, 2016 - 3:07pm login or register to post comments

 
thanks =V=
I appreciate your taking the time to explain that. Normally, I'd be hibernating that time of year too but the weather was so mild there were lots of insects out.
… Steve Scholnick, 28 June, 2016 - 9:40pm login or register to post comments

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