Species Amara aenea - Common Sun Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Remarks · Works Cited

Amara on driftwood in small pond - Amara aenea - male

Carabidae, Common Sun Beetle, dorsal - Amara aenea - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Adephaga

Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)

Subfamily Harpalinae

Supertribe Pterostichitae

Tribe Zabrini (Seed-Eating Ground Beetles)

Genus Amara

No Taxon (subgenus Amara)

Species aenea (Common Sun Beetle)

Explanation of Names

Amara aenea (DeGeer 1774)

Size

6.2-8.8 mm(1)

Identification

Common and widespread across North America. The most likely species of Amara to be seen running in the open during sunny days, hence the nickname "Common Sun Beetle". Recognizable by its general habitus; metallic (coppery) dorsum; flattish eyes; pronotum with anterior angles strongly projected forward, mediobasal fovea sharp, laterobasal fovea weak or absent; first three antennomeres pale; femur dark and tibia light.

Range

native to n. Eurasia, adventive in NA and now widespread both in the east (NF-MB south to n.FL-n.LA-ne.OK) and in the west (so.BC-CA to se.AB-CO-n.AZ)(2)

Habitat

fields, orchards, roadsides, sand pits, usually on dry sandy soils; occasionally on plants(1)

Season

spring breeder(1)

Remarks

earliest record in our area: before 1828; first inventoried specimens: NY 1904 in the east, CA 1941 in the west(2)

Works Cited

1.	Illustrated Identification Guide to Adults and Larvae of Northeastern North American Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Yves Bousquet. 2010. Pensoft Publishers.

2.	Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera, Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico Bousquet Y. 2012. ZooKeys 245: 1–1722.

Contributed by Boris Büche on 4 July, 2008 - 5:42am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Peter Messer, v belov
Last updated 23 August, 2021 - 8:42am

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