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Photo#166413
Scaphinotus - Scaphinotus andrewsii

Scaphinotus - Scaphinotus andrewsii
Whitley County, Kentucky, USA
June 21, 2005
Size: ~ 26 mm
Scaphinotus, distinctly purple. I think this is S. viduus, but am not sure. (There are no carina on the elytra.)

Images of this individual: tag all
Scaphinotus - Scaphinotus andrewsii Scaphinotus - Scaphinotus andrewsii

Moved
Moved from Scaphinotus.

Moved
Moved from Scaphinotus viduus.

Moved
Moved from Scaphinotus.

 
Not sure?
I think S. viduus typically has a wider pronotum with reflexed hind angles (although not so much as in elevatus and unicolor that have a more squarish pronotum). This could be andrewsi although lots of possibilities in your area. Do you have a picture of the whole beetle?
I will try to get Peter Messer to take a look.

 
Sure
I agree it looks much different. I'll get to adding a complete view soon.

 
 
Added full view
S. confusus isn't in the keys I have so I can't say. S. andrewsii is a good choice though.

 
more choices
Pretty beetle. I don't have a good key; just surfing the web last night and looking at various online sources. What key are you using? Apparently confusus and guyoti are synonyms. Check out this image http://carabidae.pro/carabidae/steniridia-casey-1924.html. Those four beetles: valentinei, tricarinatus, guyoti, and andresii would all work. To me it looks like valentinei and adrewsii are superficially the most similar to your beetle. Probably some other species that we don't know about up in those moumtains and valleys!

 
Yes, "Scaphinotus confusus" is a junior synonym
of Scaphinotus guyotii (LeConte) -- previously known in NC,TN, VA, WV. I have not had a chance to review published keys that might help here.

 
More Scaphinotus update:
There is no "Scaphinotus valentinei Barr" in the published literature. I see Todd Lawton had posted "Scaphinotus andrewsii germari" with the habitus image. The other two subspecies known in "KY" are "S. andrewsii montanus" and "S. andrewsii mutablis". Definitive reference to sort out the subspecies: "Speciation in Steniridia, a Group of Cychrine Beetles (Family Carabidae, Genus Scaphinotus" by J.M. Valentine (1935) in Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. 51(2): 341-375, plates 65-73.

 
thanks Peter
I checked that article (can be found online here) and it does seem to be S. andrewsii germari as Todd suggests. This is a female and doesn't really run through the key well, but distribution seems pretty clear.

 
Hi Brad, Any details on wher
Hi Brad,
Any details on where this specimen was found? I'll be collecting Scaphinotus in VA and WV in a couple weeks; maybe I could also try a day in KY.

 
sure
drop me an email and I'll give you the specifics

Wow !
Very impressive jaws !

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