Is this Lycidae or Phengodidae or Lampyridae or Omethidae? Or am I WAY off.... - Matheteus theveneti - BugGuide.Net

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Copyright © 2008 OWSVRA

Is this Lycidae or Phengodidae or Lampyridae or Omethidae? Or am I WAY off.... - Matheteus theveneti -

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County, California, USA
March 27, 2008
Size: .5 inch

I only saw these guys for about 1 week at the tag-end of March while collecting for the parks collection. At first glance I thought it was Lampyridae but I cannot find any descriptions that fit. The lighting in the picture is bad, but the whole thing is the same orange-reddish color. Very much like Matheteus thevenetei but without the dark spot on the pronotum. Thanks for any help!

Contributed by OWSVRA on 28 June, 2008 - 4:48pm
Last updated 17 December, 2010 - 9:57am

great find

the important thing is species ID, which is now etablished. Lampyridae vs Omethidae is a moot discussion -- just a matter of convenience

… v belov, 28 June, 2008 - 7:50pm

Nice!

Definitely an omethid. My late friend did a review of the New World Omethidae as part of his MS. This does key to Matheteus thevenetei in that work.

I have notified Dr. Michael Caterino, head of the California Beetle Project, of this image. Hopefully he will weigh in.

Also, the pic on the California Beetle Project website does not have the black maculation on the pronotum.

… Jeff Gruber, 28 June, 2008 - 7:13pm

guess

I would say it does look very similer to the Omethidae pictures in the guide but would wait for an expert opinion

… Karl Volkman, 28 June, 2008 - 5:13pm

Omethidae: Matheteus theveneti

Nothing else but Matheteus theveneti it could be. There aren't all that many specimens or records for this species, so I don't have a real good idea how variable the pronotal spot might be, but I don't think it's significant in any case.

… Michael Caterino, 28 June, 2008 - 9:06pm

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