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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Hydrophiloidea » Clown Beetles (Histeridae) » Histerinae » Platysomatini » Platysoma » subgenus Platysoma (Platysoma subgenus Platysoma) » Platysoma leconti
Photo#46347
Clown Beetle - Platysoma leconti
Copyright © 2006 tom murray

Clown Beetle - Platysoma leconti
Harvard, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
March 31, 2006
Size: 4mm
I photographed this one right where it landed, on my hat.
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Contributed by tom murray on 31 March, 2006 - 9:39pm
Last updated 11 June, 2007 - 5:09pm

Thanks Jeff
Moved from Platysoma.
… tom murray, 11 June, 2007 - 5:09pm login or register to post comments

Platysoma leconti
Hi Tom,

This is Platysoma leconti, very commonly encountered under bark.
… Jeff Gruber, 11 June, 2007 - 12:28pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Clown Beetles.
… tom murray, 3 April, 2007 - 7:10am login or register to post comments

looks like Platysoma genus group
:-)
… Boris Büche, 3 April, 2007 - 3:37am login or register to post comments

Send in the Clowns
The squared off apex of the elytra is an interesting trait, and you've got a nice full set of striations, helping rule out Hololepta. Genus Hister would be my best thought on this one, but beyond that I wouldn't even make an attempt.

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com
… Stephen_WV, 1 April, 2006 - 3:58am login or register to post comments

 
not Hister
I can contribute that it is not a Hister (way too small), but don't know the genus. Yves Bousquet's book on the Histeridae of Canada and adjacent North America (Insects and Arachnids of Canada series) should be out shortly, and will help immensely in placing members of this family to genus. Too many of the genera look alike to me.
… Donald S. Chandler, 1 April, 2006 - 7:46am login or register to post comments

 
???
looking through Downie and Arnett at hister beetles right now, some as small as 0.75mm, many in the 2-5mm range....
… Ethan Friedman, 5 June, 2006 - 12:52pm login or register to post comments

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