Rove Beetle - Orus dentiger

thanks guys --pretty sure 'dentiger' refers to that very feature

must be a male thing

Moved from Paederini.

… v belov, 7 April, 2013 - 4:02pm

I think this would be Orus de

I think this would be Orus dentiger, I never noticed the thighs before but I wouldn't be surprised if they are diagnostic. Otherwise this looks just like Scopaeus with a thicker neck.

Diochus and an Orus, hmm Tom were you fishing around in wet litter?

Cheers,
Adam

… Adam Brunke, 7 April, 2013 - 3:58pm

Thanks for everyones's help

These roves were in the Wayland Community Garden under a board in damp soil. A nice large wetland is about 100 yards away from where I found both this Orus and the Diochus.

… tom murray, 7 April, 2013 - 5:24pm

neat thighs man...

Moved from Rove Beetles.

… v belov, 7 April, 2013 - 1:27pm

Didn't even notice the thighs

I hope Adam takes a look, those thighs might be diagnostic.

… tom murray, 7 April, 2013 - 2:07pm

i bet they are

asked Dr Thayer to take a look at your cool beast

… v belov, 7 April, 2013 - 2:09pm

O. dentiger indeed

In describing the species in 1880, LeConte mentioned a "slender curved spine" at the inner end of the concavity on the thigh of the male (only), although he didn't say whether that was the basis for the name. Herman, in his second paper on Orus (1965), mentioned in his key that males of dentiger have the "metatibia with row of spines on one side; metafemur usually with eleven denticles on the distal end" (vs. no spines and seven denticles in the western species parallelus). In his brief redescription, Herman described LeConte's "spine" as being a tuft of long appressed setae.

… Margaret Thayer, 7 April, 2013 - 4:42pm

many thanks again --most thorough explanation

… v belov, 7 April, 2013 - 4:46pm