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Photo#550843
Bradycellus nigriceps
Copyright © 2011 Brad Barnd

Bradycellus nigriceps
Hancock County, Indiana, USA
July 3, 2011
Size: 3.2 mm
Collected at UV light.

Characters: small size; elytra iridescent and with dorsal punctures; first two antennomeres pale; hind angles of pronotum with small tooth; more or less light coloration (not uniform brown like B. tantillus); scutellar stria lacking

Update: Specimen donated to Peter Messer (PWMC), 2023.
Contributed by Brad Barnd on 24 July, 2011 - 2:02am
Last updated 15 August, 2023 - 10:30pm

To clinch B. nigriceps, please rule out B. insulsus
which is even more strongly iridescent than B. nigriceps. Unlike the latter, B. insulsus has elytral striate mesh indistinct under high power and pronotal hind angles with coarse punctures. Otherwise, the very small body size and your distant image does appear to fit a dark variant of B. nigriceps.
… Peter W. Messer, 3 August, 2014 - 9:13am

 
B. insulsus can be excluded
based on the key characters you mention. Also, body length also seems to be useful in separation with B. nigriceps being, on average, smaller than B. insulsus.
… Brad Barnd, 9 August, 2014 - 10:01pm

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