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Photo#897750
Mordellidae in Goldenrod, lateral - Mordellistena convicta

Mordellidae in Goldenrod, lateral - Mordellistena convicta
Plymouth Rock, Winneshiek County, Iowa, USA
July 7, 2013
Size: 3+ mm
March 29, 2013: Collected Goldenrod, Solidago sp. stems with Goldenrod Gall Fly, Eurosta solidaginis, galls
April 2013: 1 Goldenrod Gall Fly emerged
May 18, 2013: found 1 Gall Midge and 2 different wasps
July 7, 2013: found 1 live mordellid, a couple of dead mordellids, lots of tiny wasps and some slightly bigger wasps
I thougth about tossing the Goldenrod after the first fly emerged.

Images of this individual: tag all
Mordellidae in Goldenrod, lateral - Mordellistena convicta Mordellidae in Goldenrod, frontal - Mordellistena convicta Mordellidae in Goldenrod, dorsal - Mordellistena convicta Mordellidae, hind tibia - Mordellistena convicta Mordellidae, tarsi - Mordellistena convicta

Moved
Moved from Mordellistena.

Moved

ridges
would need to confirm the ridge counts please. Looks to be 3 on tibia (not counting sub-apical), 3 or 4 on first tarsal, 2 on second tarsal, and none on third tarsal.

Could be M. unicolor, or possibly close to one I posted here.

Accurate ridge counts should settle it.

 
I know better. Sorry.
You are correct: 3 on tibia (not counting sub-apical), 3 on first tarsal, 2 on second tarsal, and none on third tarsal.

 
uncertain
so technically, 3,3,2 and all black keys to M. morula in Liljblad. But he was "uncertain" about the validity of the species. Overall, your beetle (and M. morula) is close to the M. aspersa group, which are 2,3,2 on the ridges - except at least M. aspersa itself mentions the sometimes presence of rudimentary ridge (making 3). Your beetle would not be aspersa itself as it's larger and more completely black, but if very well could be one of the others in the complex such as M. rubrilabris (also, yours seems likely to be a female - size + almost all black). In the end, I'd suggest we leave this at the genus level, at least until we get a non-taxon aspersa group page set up.

Thanks for the leg images - they are invaluable, even if we couldn't get to species on this one.

Oh, and the Goldenrod gall association is another thing in favor for aspersa group.

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