Beetles of Eastern North America

Preface 7

Acknowledgments 8

How to Use This Book 9

Classification 9

Key to Families 9

Family Diagnoses 9

Species Accounts 9

Species Identification 10

Introduction to Beetles 11

Beetle Anatomy 11

Behavior and Natural History 19

When and Where to Find Beetles 33

Observing and Photographing Beetles 36

Beetle Conservation and the Ethics of Collecting 38

Collecting and Preserving Beetles 39

Making a Beetle Collection 45

Keeping and Rearing Beetles in Captivity 49

Taking an Active Role in Beetle Research 52

Illustrated Key to the Common Beetle Families of Eastern North America 53

Beetles of Eastern North America 59

Reticulated beetles (Cupedidae) 60

Telephone-pole beetles (Micromalthidae) 61

Minute bog beetles (Sphaeriusidae) 62

Ground, tiger, and wrinkled bark beetles (Carabidae) 63

Whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) 94

Crawling water beetles (Haliplidae) 96

Burrowing water beetles (Noteridae) 97

Predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) 99

Water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae) 105

Clown beetles (Histeridae) 110

Minute moss beetles (Hydraenidae) 114

Featherwing beetles (Ptiliidae) 115

Primitive carrion beetles (Agyrtidae) 117

Round fungus beetles (Leiodidae) 118

Burying and carrion beetles (Silphidae) 120

Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) 124

Stag beetles (Lucanidae) 142

Bess beetles (Passalidae) 145

Enigmatic scarab beetles (Glaresidae) 146

Hide beetles (Trogidae) 147

Earth-boring scarab beetles (Geotrupidae) 149

Sand-loving scarab beetles (Ochodaeidae) 152

Scavenger and pill scarab beetles (Hybosoridae) 153

Bumble bee scarabs (Glaphyridae) 155

Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) 156

Plate-thigh beetles (Eucinetidae) 178

Minute beetles (Clambidae) 179

Marsh beetles (Scirtidae) 180

Cicada parasite beetles (Rhipiceridae) 183

Metallic wood-boring or jewel beetles (Buprestidae) 184

Pill or moss beetles (Byrrhidae) 195

Riffle beetles (Elmidae) 196

Long-toed water beetles (Dryopidae) 198

Travertine beetles (Lutrochidae) 200

Minute marsh-loving beetles (Limnichidae) 201

Variegated mud-loving beetles (Heteroceridae) 202

Water penny beetles (Psephenidae) 203

Ptilodactylid beetles (Ptilodactylidae) 204

Chelonariid beetles (Chelonariidae) 206

Callirhipid beetles (Callirhipidae) 207

Artematopodid beetles (Artematopodidae) 208

Rare click beetles (Cerophytidae) 209

False click beetles (Eucnemidae) 210

Throscid beetles (Throscidae) 211

Click beetles (Elateridae) 213

Net-winged beetles (Lycidae) 229

Glowworms (Phengodidae) 233

Fireflies, lightningbugs, and glowworms (Lampyridae) 234

False soldier and false firefly beetles (Omethidae) 237

Soldier beetles (Cantharidae) 238

Tooth-neck fungus beetles (Derodontidae) 243

Wounded-tree beetles (Nosodendridae) 244

Jacobsoniid beetles (Jacobsoniidae) 245

Skin beetles (Dermestidae) 246

Endecatomid beetles (Endecatomidae) 249

Bostrichid beetles (Bostrichidae) 250

Death-watch and spider beetles (Ptinidae) 252

Ship-timber beetles (Lymexylidae) 258

Bark-gnawing beetles and cadelles (Trogossitidae) 259

Checkered beetles (Cleridae) 263

Soft-winged flower beetles (Melyridae) 271

Fruitworm beetles (Byturidae) 274

Cryptic slime mold beetles (Sphindidae) 275

False skin beetles (Biphyllidae) 276

Pleasing fungus and lizard beetles (Erotylidae) 277

Root-eating beetles (Monotomidae) 281

Silken fungus beetles (Cryptophagidae) 283

Silvanid flat bark beetles (Silvanidae) 285

Flat bark beetles (Cucujidae) 288

Parasitic flat bark beetles (Passandridae) 289

Shining flower and shining mold beetles (Phalacridae) 290

Lined flat bark beetles (Laemophloeidae) 291

Short-winged flower beetles (Kateretidae) 293

Sap beetles (Nitidulidae) 295

Cybocephalid beetles (Cybocephalidae) 304

Palmetto beetles (Smicripidae) 305

Bothriderid beetles (Bothrideridae) 305

Minute bark beetles (Cerylonidae) 307

Handsome fungus beetles (Endomychidae) 308

Lady beetles (Coccinellidae) 311

Minute hooded and fungus beetles (Corylophidae) 320

Minute brown scavenger beetles (Latridiidae) 322

Hairy fungus beetles (Mycetophagidae) 323

Archeocrypticid beetles (Archeocrypticidae) 325

Minute tree-fungus beetles (Ciidae) 326

Polypore fungus beetles (Tetratomidae) 327

False darkling beetles (Melandryidae) 329

Tumbling flower beetles (Mordellidae) 333

Ripiphorid beetles (Ripiphoridae) 338

Zopherid beetles (Zopheridae) 340

Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) 344

Synchroa bark beetles (Synchroidae) 359

False longhorn beetles (Stenotrachelidae) 360

False blister beetles (Oedemeridae) 362

Blister beetles (Meloidae) 365

Palm and flower beetles (Mycteridae) 369

Conifer bark beetles (Boridae) 371

Dead log beetles (Pythidae) 372

Fire-colored beetles (Pyrochroidae) 373

Narrow-waisted bark beetles (Salpingidae) 376

Antlike flower beetles (Anthicidae) 377

Ischaliid beetles (Ischaliidae) 382

Antlike leaf beetles (Aderidae) 382

False flower beetles (Scraptiidae) 384

Disteniid longhorn beetles (Disteniidae) 387

Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) 388

Megalopodid leaf beetles (Megalopodidae) 428

Orsodacnid leaf beetles (Orsodacnidae) 429

Leaf and seed beetles (Chrysomelidae) 429

Pine flower snout beetles (Nemonychidae) 457

Fungus weevils (Anthribidae) 458

Cycad weevils (Belidae) 462

Leaf-rolling and thief weevils, and toothnose snout beetles (Attelabidae) 462

Straight-snouted and pear-shaped weevils (Brentidae) 466

Weevils, and snout, bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae) 469

Appendix: Classification of the Beetles Covered in This Book 501

Glossary 523

Selected References and Resources 527

Photo and Illustration Credits 530

Index 537