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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Tenebrionoidea » False Darkling Beetles (Melandryidae) » Melandryinae » Xylitini » Rushia » Rushia longula
Photo#58918
Melandryid? - Rushia longula
Copyright © 2006 Jim McClarin

Melandryid? - Rushia longula
Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
June 19, 2006
Size: TBA, 5 mm or so
Came to UV lights on hot, humid, buggy night. Although shaped like a cl*ick beetle, I suspected immediately that it wasn't one. My suspicions were confirmed when I studied the photos. In browsing though American Beetles, I was struck by the similarity of this one to the adult Shi*p Timb*er W*orm genus Mel*litoma and wonder if we have yet another new beetle family for bugguide.

Images of this individual: tag all
Melandryid? - Rushia longula Melandryid? - Rushia longula Melandryid? - Rushia longula
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Contributed by Jim McClarin on 20 June, 2006 - 10:52pm
Last updated 22 June, 2006 - 3:32pm

Authoritative opinion:
"The critter appears to be Rushia longula (LeConte), a member of the
Serropalpini tribe of Melandryidae."

Dr. Darren Pollock
Head Curator of Collections
Graduate Co-ordinator,
Department of Biology
Eastern New Mexico University,
Portales, NM 88130 USA

Darren also says he agrees that this beetle looks superficially like the shipworm beetle genus Melittomma. Dan Young of U. Wisconsin referred me to him.

In working my way through the rest of the beetles collected at my UV lights I found several more of these and will post one image showing a better dorsal view.
… Jim McClarin, 22 June, 2006 - 3:24pm login or register to post comments

Melandryid
Dan Young at U. Wisconsin, who wrote the chapter on Lymex*ylidae (used to be called Lymex*ylonidae) in American Beetles, says this is definitely not a member of that family, but almost certainly belongs in Melandryidae.
… Jim McClarin, 21 June, 2006 - 7:48pm login or register to post comments

Lymexylonidae
I think you are right. Can you see the fan-shaped palps. That is pretty distinctive on the males. There are some similar appearing melandryids with big palps like that, but if your beetle has 5-5-5 tarsi then I think Lymexylonidae is correct.
… Frank Guarnieri, 21 June, 2006 - 11:23am login or register to post comments

 
Thank you, Frank. Yes, I did notice those palps.
I considered Melan*dryidae because of them before finding the Mel*litoma image. I'll study my other images of this beetle to see about a tarsi count.
… Jim McClarin, 21 June, 2006 - 4:25pm login or register to post comments

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