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Photo#637101
Giant Rove Beetle? - Dinothenarus luteipes

Giant Rove Beetle? - Dinothenarus luteipes
Soquel, Santa Cruz County, California, USA
May 3, 2012
This looks a lot like an earwig (to me) and even makes a threatening gesture with what would be pinchers if it were one. It is also roughly the size of an adult European earwig. It was placed on the concave side of a plastic garbage can lid so that I could take photos without it escaping. Several times I banged the lid on the ground so it would slide back to the middle of the lid. Despite this treatment this beetle (?) did not deploy wings and attempt to fly (Unlike the blacker, sleeker, giant rove beetles that I see near the edge of the creek. This one was found up by the road about 400 feet away from the creek. The most bizarre feature is the face, near the antennae, above the mandibles. You'll have to see a close-up view of that! Is this male, or female?

Images of this individual: tag all
Giant Rove Beetle? - Dinothenarus luteipes Giant Rove Beetle? - Dinothenarus luteipes Giant Rove Beetle? - Dinothenarus luteipes Giant Rove Beetle? - Dinothenarus luteipes

reconfirmation
In the original description, the only relevant differences described between D. luteipes and D. saphyrinus are in colour (and pubescence).

Dinothenarus luteipes:
- forebody olive metallic;
- legs red to reddish brown;
- abdomen hardly maculate, ventral segments sometimes annulate with dark red;

Dinothenarus saphyrinus:
- forebody vividly blue metallic;
- legs bright yellowish red;
- abdomen with last two segments the same colour as legs, no maculation mentioned. MCZ type

Meanwhile, we have a fine observation on iNaturalist in which anything is seen, even the poor maculation of abdomen.
It is from San Jose (type locality of Dinothenarus luteipes)

All examples with dark tail, and olive tint insofar are from around San José, and all have quite dark antennal segment 1.
LeConte did not mention the colour of antennae in D. luteipes, but for D. saphyrinus he states: "antenna piceus, base rufous".
This also is observed as a strong tendency in what we have. Ant. 1 dark rufous here, same, or frequently brighter + ant. 2 in D. saphyrinus

Moved tentatively per Boris Büche's suggestion
Moved from Dinothenarus.

 
I totally agree!
And am glad to see it ID'd!

cf. Dinothenarus luteipes
agrees pretty well with original description I have read today. The "luteipes" present on BG probably is saphyrinus.

More on the case: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5291781

Moved tentatively
Moved from ID Request.

 
Thanks for the ID!
I am adding another view of the mandibles...

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