Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Brachinus alternans

Brachinus alternans Brachinus alternans? - Brachinus alternans - female Brachinus alternans? - Brachinus alternans - female Brachinus? - Brachinus alternans Brachinus alternans Dejean - Brachinus alternans Brachinus alternans Dejean - Brachinus alternans Brachinus sp. - Brachinus alternans Brachinus sp. - Brachinus alternans
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Adephaga
Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)
Subfamily Brachininae
Genus Brachinus (Bombardier Beetle)
No Taxon (alternans group)
Species alternans (Brachinus alternans)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Brachinus alternans Dejean, 1825
Identification
1. Elytra concolourus, epipleura dark. Head & pronotum lighter than elytra.
2. Mentum flat with 2 shallow lateral pits.
3. Metasternum longer than diameter of middle coxa.
4. Elytra blue/green.
5. Elytra uniformly pubescent.
6. Raised medial portion of mentum with several setae (6+), and submentum with many hairs (16+).
7. Metasternum longer than middle coxa
8. Proepipleura & proepisternum pubescent throughout.
9. Elytral costae very pronounced (visible without a scope). (1)
Range
e US to NM (NM-FL-CT-MN) (2)
Remarks
a member of alternans group (also includes B. rugipennis and B. viridipennis in our area) (2)