Ohio Beetles Bulletin Occasional Publication of the Ohio Coleopterists Edited By: Ken Karns Species@columbus.rr.com Issue Number: 6 November 2010 Tenebrionidae: Merinus laevis (Olivier) The Ohio Beetles Bulletin (OBB) was developed to provide the Ohio Coleopterists membership a means of communication in conjunction with the Ohio Coleopterists Newsletter. It is hoped the OBB will provide an informative and enjoyable means of sharing information on the fascinating world of Beetles. “When we have experienced the atavistic joy of collecting in the open air and the manipulative pleasure of setting and mounting our chosen beetles there follows the refined intellectual delight of naming them with precision”. Quote by G.B. Walsh taken from the first edition of the Coleopterists Handbook. W.J.B. Crotch, General Editor London, December 1953. Cover Photo: Tenebrionidae: Merinus laevis (Olivier) Specimen collected by Ken Karns 06-May-2009. Ross Co. Ohio. (25 mm) Staphylinidae Genus: Hesperus Fauvel Hesperus stehri Moore Ross Co. Ohio As previously reported in issue number 5 of the OBB, Ian Moore revised the genus Hesperus in 1958 listing four North American species including two new species descriptions not the least of which was Hesperus stehri Moore. The type and only specimen known of Hesperus stehri at the time was collected at Ash Cave, Hocking County, Ohio by William C. Stehr in 1934. Subsequently, Ales Smetana revised the subtribe Philonthina of North America north of Mexico (Smetana 1995) which included the genus Hesperus. In that revision, Smetana includes Hesperus serpentinus (Horn) comb. nov. (SE United States, from Florida panhandle to Alabama and Kentucky, and along the Atlantic coast through North Carolina and Penn.) and Hesperus bicolor spec. nov. (known only from the type locality in NE Florida). Thus bringing the known North American north of Mexico fauna to six species, three of which are recorded from Ohio (*=confirmed Ohio records). Hesperius serpentinus, based on Smetana’s distribution records, could possibly occur in Ohio. Hesperus serpentinus (Horn) Hesperus baltimorensis(G ravenhorst)* Hesperus bicolor spec. nov. Hesperus apicialis (Say)* Hesperus stehri Moore* Hesperus arizonicus Moore OHIO COLEOPTERISTS Annual Business Meeting - October 9, 2010 The Ohio Coleopterists met on Saturday the 9th of October at Ken Karns’ home and museum for the annual business meeting. The election of officers resulted in no change for 2011 with the following slate of directorship: President: Ken Karns Vice President: Dick Maxey Treasurer: Cheryl Early Newsletter Editors: Dave Horn & Foster Purrington OC members at the Annual Business Meeting and Get Together from Lto R, front to back: Cheryl Early, Dave Horn, Ken Karns, Dick Maxey, George Keeney, and Mark Behrendt who recently joined the OC! George Keeney keying out some Nicrophorus species. ..with morale support. Family: Trogossitidae Not your usual suspects When you think of Ohio’s Trogossitidae, or Bark-Gnawing Beetle, one congers up the image of a rather robust insect, cylindrical in shape with rather pronounced jaws.. you know.. ..to gnaw bark with! Not a 2-3 mm tiny little fuzzy beetle that looks very much like a Colydiidae. It began on a cold December day in 1999 when like all dedicated Coleopterists I was out collecting beetles. The bark of this particular dead Shag Bark Hickory (Carya ovata) was all but gone except for about 3 feet near the base. It was situated on the top edge of a steep ravine overlooking Rush Creek Lake in Perry County, Ohio. I began peeling the bark and as I neared ground level, I began finding a small reddish brown beetle that, as I mentioned, looked superficially like a Colydiidae (Figure 1.) (Figure 1 .) Trogossitidae: Lycoptis americana (Motschulsky) 28-Dec-1999 Perry Co. Ohio (specimen 2.1 mm) Ken Karns Collection I did not recognize this guy as anything I had collected previously and continued to “pooter up” a nice series. The specimens were found in the crevices and under the dead wood of the trunk rather than on the underside of the bark itself. All were collected in close proximity to the ground or below ground level. None were found more than 8 inches or so above the ground. Karl Stephan, in his 1989 revisional paper: The Bothrideridae and Colydiidae of America north of Mexico , made the following observation “Since dead trees dry from the top down, and the beetles follow the moisture, care must be taken not to overlook the very base.” I believe that’s exactly what was going on in my case with this dead hickory. The beetles were concentrated at the base due to the moisture being restricted there. Upon returning home I prepared the specimens and put them in the collection tentatively under the Colydiidae. There they languished until 2010 when I began curating my Colydiidae and quickly determined they were not Colydiidae but could not place them to family. I posted a couple of pictures on BugGuide.Net and Michael C. Thomas with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods determined it to be “the rare Lycoptis americana ” Lycoptis is in the subgenus Lophocaterinae. A plug here for BugGuide.Net would seem appropriate. This is a great site for all families of Coleoptera. There are inherent problems with making any determinations based on pictures alone but allows the “narrowing down” of possibilities and in the case of Lycoptis americana, can be spot on! I would like to thank Michael Thomas and BugGuide.Net for the determination and providing a great web-site. Family: Trogossitidae (cont.) Lycoptis americana is not the only Trogossitidae that appears, at first blush, to be from a completely different family of beetle. Thymalus marginicollis Chevrolat (Figure 2.) is reminiscent of a Chrysomelidae of the subfamily Cassidinae or “Tortoise Beetle”. It is in fact a Trogossitidae of the subfamily Peltinae. This species, as with most Trogossitidae, can be found under bark or in association with bracket fungi. (Figure 2.) Trogossitidae: Thymalus marginicollis Chevrolat 09-January-2000, Vinton County, Ohio (specimen 5.5 mm) Ken Karns Collection 2010 OC Christmas Party ! Hosted By: OC Member George Keeney Saturday December 18th 10:00 am to 2:00 pm George Keeney’s Place 47 East Torrence Road - Columbus, OH. 43214 Contact/Directions: George (Cell: 614-530-8892) The Christmas Party is a potluck with George providing a main dish and encourages everyone to bring any side dishes, fruit, deserts, or other special menu requirements you may have. We will be of course discussing beetles so bring trade material, show-and-tell stuff, or things to be determined. Please make plans to attend and RSVP to keenev.1 @ osu.edu