silver-backed beetle - Orsodacne atra

Identified!

Judging by the honker on this one, I'm almost 100% sure that this one is Ringo.

… dissolvedmusic, 15 June, 2008 - 9:01am

Orsodacninae Subamily?

It looks a bit like this subfamily from the Peterson Field Guide. Specifically the Orsodacne atra. However, I don't even know if that species is found in Cananda. It does like flowers and is found in the Spring.

… Lynette Elliott, 18 March, 2005 - 6:08am

Orsodacne atra

Thanks Lynette - and Zack - for the ID. I had trouble with this one because it looked sort of leaf beetle-ish and sort of longhorn beetle-ish. Where should the Guide page be put? In Chrysomelidae, Orsodacnidae, No Taxon, or left "floating" in the Chrysomeloidea superfamily?

… Robin McLeod, 19 March, 2005 - 7:30am

Guide location

The Peterson Field guide (1983) places it in the Leaf Beetles - Chrysomelidae. But, I don't know if that's the most current or accurate placement. This site (2003) has it listed as its own Family. http://www.sbnature.org/collections/invert/entom/chrysomelids.pdf

… Lynette Elliott, 19 March, 2005 - 8:06am

American Beetles

I created a Family page for this per American Beetles (1). Unless there is a good reason not to, thats what I'm following.

… Phillip Harpootlian, 28 March, 2005 - 7:37am

Orsodacne atra (Ahrens 1810)

Lynette-

Good eye- it looks like you're right on. This is Orsodacne atra, the only species in the genus. Apparently, this species is extremely variable in color, which has spawned numerous dubious synonyms and subspecies.

Whether its parent taxon is a subfamily (Chrysomelidae: Orsodacninae) or a family unto itself (Orsodacnidae) depends on which authority you follow.

cheers,

zack

… Zack Falin, 18 March, 2005 - 9:31am