Tenebrionid 3 - Opatroides punctulatus

ok cool

This is Opatroides punctulatus. A species that would key out near Blapstinus. Why isn't it in the key? well thats because we didn't know it occured in the US till earlier in December. I collected a bunch with a Teneb expert and was struggling to key it out as a species of Blapstinus. While like Blapstinus, it has the completely divided eye, this species is way smoother than any other species in the area and the abruptly ending epipleura distinguished it. In my collecting trip along the Sacramento, this was by far the most common Teneb I got. It is widespread in the old world.

… Kojun Kanda, 30 December, 2007 - 12:19am

cool!

How do you think it got here? Are there other representatives of the genus in NA?

… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 30 December, 2007 - 12:22am

not sure, no

not sure how it got here. We found them near a deep water channel so could be have hitched a ride in on boats like the Eastern beach Teneb, Trachyscelis aphodiodes. Could have hitched a ride via trade of plant material. In the US, its the only species of Opatroides.

… Kojun Kanda, 30 December, 2007 - 12:57pm

other shots

A shot of the head from above and side would be great, also an underside shot showing the epipleura (the margin of the elytra that hugs the side of the insect's body). Looks like something I collected just a week ago in Sacramento, but need these shots to be absolutely sure.

… Kojun Kanda, 28 December, 2007 - 1:43pm

Unfortunately I can't stabili

Unfortunately I can't stabilize the specimen with my temporary setup to get the side or ventral shots, but I'll try and get a view of the head. Thanks so much for the quick ID work, I was hoping you'd be able to ID some of these!!

… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 28 December, 2007 - 4:51pm

For this one

Check to see if eyes are completely divided (which I can sort of make out) and if the epipleura ends abruptly before the apex of the elytra. If so, it is Opatroides punctulatus, if not, it the epipleura continues to the apex of the elytra, it is Blapstinus.

… Kojun Kanda, 28 December, 2007 - 7:23pm