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Photo#1634662
Ground Beetle - Lionepha australerasa - male

Ground Beetle - Lionepha australerasa - Male
In Westwood - elevation 5100ft, Lassen County, California, USA
August 21, 2012
Size: ABL 3.4 mm
GrBet 058 - Sent to Peter W. Messer

Updated ID for this specimen to species Lionepha australerasa was provided by Peter W. Messer via physical examination.

My thanks to Peter for identifying this ground beetle.

Images of this individual: tag all
Ground Beetle - Lionepha australerasa - male Ground Beetle - Lionepha australerasa - male Ground Beetle - Lionepha australerasa - male Ground Beetle - Lionepha australerasa - male

Lionepha australerasa Maddison, 2020
is my updated determination for this specimen -- a newly described species in a paper by Maddison & Sproul (2020). As a rather cryptic member of the L. erasum species group, L. austalerasa is limited to the Sierra Nevada of California and Crater Lake, Oregon. Information is provided in the Registry of Nearctic Geadephaga. The specimen I examined from Westwood, Lassen Co, CA had a slightly narrower pronotum with sides straighter than what might be suggested in these photos. Also importantly, the tibiae are dark and the elytral striae are relatively prominent. This male specimen resides in PWMC. In the future I hope to study its aedeagus for species confirmation. Thanks Jim.

Male Lionepha erasa (LeConte)
is a uniformly black shiny bembidiine distinguished from other male members of the genus by its dorsal microsculpture virtually "erased", hence the epithet. Thank you Jim for this contribution new to BugGuide and new to PWMC.

 
Thinking that the following..
also listed under Lionepha might be an L. erasa:


What is your opinion?
Thanks, Gary

 
Gary, yours could very well be Lionepha erasa
as it is a black shiny male (dilated protarsi visible) of right size, right body shape, & right residence. Of course the necessary erased microsculpture can not be confirmed from this photo. Are you able to scope it under high power? If so, seek the reference by Erwin & Kavanaugh (1981) listed in YB2012. I readily accept mailed specimens for determination and retention for my growing North American synoptic set whose mission is to help others with carabid identification.

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