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Photo#47893
Geotrupes ulkei

Geotrupes ulkei
7 km east of Paw Paw, 39.5230, -78.3632, Morgan County, West Virginia, USA
August 1, 2012
Size: 14 mm
Many were seen crawling through leaf litter in wooded ravine at night.

Geotrupes
Being a french entomologist interrested in Geotrupidae (also in other Scarabaeidae,Trichiotinus, Calosoma, Carabus....)I hope to be in touch with american colleagues in order to exchange comments and specimens.
A. Laforgue
coleo81atwanadoo.fr

Geotrupes ulkei
ID'd by Phillip Harpootlian. The small size and lack of elytral striations (only rows of punctures) separate this beetle from the other Geotrupes. According to Phillip, it is a flightless species with fused elytra. Apparently this is an uncommon and very local beetle of the Southern Appalachians usually found at over 3000 feet. He was surprised that I found them at the northeastern tip of WV at under 1000 feet and also that they are common at that locale. (This is a lousy image. Way to dark although I don't know why I am just realizing this now! The actual beetle is very shiny with bright blue elytral margins. I'll try to post a lighter image later).

 
new image
By the way, thanks to whoever tried to lighten this up digitally... actually turned out pretty good. I'm posting a lighter exposure now which still isn't perfect but you can better see that there are rows of punctures instead of striations.

 
yes ..
this is better - really shows the details. Obviously can't tell from a photo, but has vestigial wings and the elytral suture is fused - best seen if you find a dead specimen or part of one.

 
probable northern range extension
The last literature accounts I'm aware of list a couple of mtn. passes in Shenandoah N.P. as the furthest north this sp. occurs.

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