South Dakota new state record: This single specimen was captured by Tiger Beetle specialist Dr. Matthew Brust in far southwest corner of the South Dakota (rec. n.). Determined by PW Messer 2016 under the keen guiding eyes of Dr. George E. Ball. Absent from the habitus image is the normally protruding abdomen which was broken and saved on card point. Specimen is held by PWM.

Note the distinctive hatch-shaped (securiform) labial palp in the closeup, a feature that separates it from the slender palps of Cymindis (Pinacodera) whose members may superficially appear like those of Philophuga. Philophuga viridis: subspecies horni with single seta at pronotal hind angle vs subspecies amoena without seta.

Addendum 2019: A 2nd (intact) male P. viridis amoena was captured by M.L. Brust also in SD, Fall River Co. Jun 19 2019 on Artemisia tridentata.

These rough yet instructive images were taken with a basic Kodak camera held in autofocus over the ocular lens of stereomicroscope. They are placeholders for a species new to BugGuide, hopefully joined by better images later. This new state record for South Dakota is added to the post-2012 Caraboid Forum/Registry.