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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Adephaga » Ground Beetles (Carabidae) » Brachininae » Bombardier Beetle (Brachinus) » alternans group (Brachinus alternans group) » Brachinus alternans
Photo#163909
Brachinus alternans
Copyright © 2008 Brad Barnd

Brachinus alternans
Pulaski County, Kentucky, USA
May 12, 2007
Size: 14 mm
Brachinus alternans. Attracted to UV light, I would have missed it if I hadn't accidentally stepped on it, which elicited its popping sound.

Metasternum normal (wings developed), bluish elytra, uniform pubescence on elytra, and mentum/submentum very setose point to this species.
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Contributed by Brad Barnd on 4 January, 2008 - 8:10pm
Last updated 22 May, 2011 - 5:01pm

alternans has very prominent costae
i've seen a few dozen specimens, and they all also share square-shouldered elytra, of rather vivid shade of blue
… v belov, 14 September, 2018 - 10:50am login or register to post comments

Brachinus
species are very difficult to separate taxonomically as they often differ only by "hair counting" in published keys. Best key to the North American fauna is by Terry Erwin (1970) in Quaestiones Entomologicae 6:4-215.
… Peter W. Messer, 5 January, 2008 - 5:38pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
I need to have a look at that.
… Brad Barnd, 5 January, 2008 - 5:44pm login or register to post comments

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