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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Elateriformia » Scirtoidea » Plate-thigh Beetles (Eucinetidae) » Nycteus » Nycteus infumatus
Photo#50835
Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus
Copyright © 2006 Joyce Gross

Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus
Oakland, Alameda County, California, USA
May 4, 2006
Size: 4mm
Based on the discussion here, this is probably Nycteus infumatus.

I finally found another of these beetles (2 of them!) under the bark of a downed Monterey Pine tree in the Oakland hills. This time I got photos of its ventral surface. Notice the large metacoxa -- these beetles are excellent jumpers!! Though for the most part this one was very cooperative for photos. Only when I touched it did it leap.

Images of this individual: tag all
Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus Eucinetid - Nycteus infumatus
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Contributed by Joyce Gross on 6 May, 2006 - 2:36am
Last updated 6 August, 2006 - 12:31am

Hi joyce,
Does this beetle have mandibles? Can you crop and enlarge to reveal mouthparts? I've just leaned about members of this family (some? all?) having strange piercing-sucking mouthparts adapted for feeding on certain fungi.
… Jim McClarin, 15 March, 2007 - 4:12pm login or register to post comments

 
Hi Jim
I just loaded 2 (actually 3) photos showing the mouthparts. The two photos stuck together are different shots than the ones I loaded a while ago -- but the same beetle. I think they show the mouthparts better than the ventral shot. It doesn't look as if it's got piercing-sucking mouthparts.

I found this drawing (SEM image?) of a different genus in the family that seems to have the piercing-sucking mouthparts. It's linked to from here. Interesting.
… Joyce Gross, 16 March, 2007 - 2:49am login or register to post comments

 
Yes,
I had someone send me that image, which made me wonder...

Thanks for demonstrating that not all family members are built that way.
… Jim McClarin, 16 March, 2007 - 4:36am login or register to post comments

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