Omoglymmius, wrinkled bark beetle (Rhysodini). California.
Rhysodine beetles make their living feeding on slime molds under the bark of decaying trees . They are instantly recognizable from the grooves on their backs and from their distinctly moniliform (bead-like) antennae. The taxonomic placement of these insects is controversial, but genetic evidence suggests they are a highly specialized lineage of Carabidae, the ground beetles.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100, 1/200 sec, f/13, flash diffused through tracing paper
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photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100,…
Nosodendron californicum - Wounded Tree Beetle
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From the Department of Really Obscure Insects, here's a beetle that few non-specialists will recognize. Nosodendron inhabits the rotting tissue of long-festering tree wounds. These beetles are not rare so much as specialized to an…
I admit to a soft spot for beetles in the family Nitidulidae. Maybe it's the cute clubby antennae. Or maybe it's just the shared fondness for beer. In any case, the sap beetles are charming little insects.
I found this Amphicrossus imbibing fermented tree sap from a wounded tree in downtown…
Cool.
I have these crawling around one of my cupboards and in a dresser drawer.
Any way to rid them? I have no idea how they came to me, since I live on the 10th floor of my building.