Coleoptera - Coryphium nigrum

Moved

Moved from Beetles.

… Charley Eiseman, 5 February, 2009 - 2:34pm

Very cool, new genus for bugguide

This is Coryphium nigrum, a species in the subfamily Omaliinae. Species of this genus typically like it cold, which makes sense because it's winter. This was a fun challenge for me - keep up the weird litter Staphs!

Adam

… Adam Brunke, 5 February, 2009 - 9:34am

I just wanted to add a couple

I just wanted to add a couple things:

1. The U-shaped impression at the base of the pronotum helps distinguish this specimen from rarely occurring, un-patterned individuals in the genus Epheli*nus
2. This is a rare species not known from Virginia and if you ever find more Scott, please send them to me so that I can voucher the range extension (MASS is the southern most record). Finding these in Virginia is strange indeed...

Thanks again for such a great photo of a rare find!

Adam

… Adam Brunke, 19 July, 2010 - 9:26pm

I Would Be...

happy to collect some of these for you if I can locate them. This coming winter I will make sure to search the area where I found this beetle and also get some better images as well.

… Scott Justis, 19 July, 2010 - 9:48pm

thanks, Adam and Scott...

...for posting and decoding this one; great job!

… v belov, 5 February, 2009 - 9:51am

nice rove -- no clue where to begin, looks weird

Ada-a-a-a-m!!! where are you?

… v belov, 2 February, 2009 - 1:06pm

Wow, this is a fun one

I'm leaning toward Omalii*nae, Euaesthet*inae or Oxytel*inae for this one..I should be able to give you an answer once I get into lab tomorrow. I can't see any ocelli on this one but there is something "Omalii*nae" to it.

Keep up the great photos,
Adam

… Adam Brunke, 4 February, 2009 - 9:43pm

something Omal... to it

i had the same feeling -- will follow developments

… v belov, 5 February, 2009 - 6:59am

Thank you

for your time. I'm seeing quite a number of these rove beetles. Some are fairly easy to get good images of, but a lot of them are very quick to run for cover. Are these predators or scavengers?

… Scott Justis, 4 February, 2009 - 10:28pm

Challenges

Rove beetles are fun photographic challenges because they are fast and tricky to shoot. Most are small but I guess that isn't a problem for your lens! Most rove's are predaceous but some are herbivorous on algae. Others are known as saprophagous, straining out the micro-organisms in dung, rotting organic matter and fungusy wood. Scavenging is a rare occurrence and if there is prey in your rove's mouth it's probably their kill. There is a huge diversity in North America and Virginia is a good place to start.

Adam

… Adam Brunke, 5 February, 2009 - 9:05am

Great info...

Thanks for the explanation. I was surprised to see that it had caught a springtail. A predator would have to be very stealthy to catch one of these, I would think.

I will try to find some more of these curious beetles this weekend. There were a couple that I did find, but were too quick to get a good in focus image of.

… Scott Justis, 5 February, 2009 - 2:11pm