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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Series Staphyliniformia » Water Scavenger and Clown Beetles (Hydrophiloidea) » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) » Sphaeridiinae » Coelostomatini » Dactylosternum
Photo#592792
Beetle with brown
Copyright © 2011 R. Berg

Beetle with brown "bubbles" - Dactylosternum
Alameda County, California, USA
November 6, 2011
Size: 5.2 mm bl
Rescued from water dish, morning.

Images of this individual: tag all
Beetle with brown Beetle with brown Beetle with brown
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Contributed by R. Berg on 6 November, 2011 - 5:13pm
Last updated 8 November, 2011 - 11:11am

Moved
Moved from Cymbiodyta columbiana.
… R. Berg, 8 November, 2011 - 11:11am login or register to post comments

Cymbiodyta columbiana (Leech)
Nice! A distinctive western species- the deeply impressed striae are diagnostic. C. pacifica is similar but has the striae less developed, confined to the lateral margins, and not as deeply impressed (see guide photos). Would love to have it for my personal collection if you have kept it.
… Tim Loh, 6 November, 2011 - 8:30pm login or register to post comments

 
Dactylosternum
This is actually a species of Dactylosternum, which is in a different subfamily. Note the short palps, and semi-distinctive club, shape of head and pronotum. Western Cymbiodyta are not at all easy to ID even with dissected specimens and comparative material--I would generally discourage species ID with photos except in very rare cases. Deeply impressed stria mentioned here are not characteristic of C. columbiana but would suggest C. punctatostriata if a CA Cymbiodyta did have such a feature (which, coincidentally is perhaps the only easy-to-ID CA species). The mites are also a give-away that it is likely a terrestrial species (water mites are shaped differently and almost never on the dorsum like this).
… Andrew Short, 8 November, 2011 - 2:49am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the new ID
I moved the images. The details are too technical for me, except that being a terrestrial species is consistent with the beetle's behavior in the water. It seemed to be trying to get out.
… R. Berg, 8 November, 2011 - 11:17am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the ID
The beetle isn't available. I released it after photographing.
… R. Berg, 6 November, 2011 - 9:47pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Beetles.
… R. Berg, 6 November, 2011 - 6:20pm login or register to post comments

Hydrophilidae
the 'bubbles' are phoretic mites.

Someone more familiar with this family can take the ID further.
… Blaine Mathison, 6 November, 2011 - 5:52pm login or register to post comments

 
That one . . .
got a little too philious of hydro.
… R. Berg, 6 November, 2011 - 6:18pm login or register to post comments

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