Family Carabidae Ground Beetles

Family Carabidae Third largest family in North America – about 2,200 species Large variation in size, shape and color Most species are dark, shiny and flattened Striated elytra

Ground Beetles Ground beetles are found under stones, logs, leaves and debris Able to run rapidly – rarely fly Most species are nocturnal and are attracted to light Most are predaceous Many are beneficial 25mm or more

Ground Beetles

Scaphinotus and a few other genera feed on snails and slugs Both larvae are also predaceous and found in debris, under bark, in burrows in soil Calosoma sp. Are know as “caterpillar hunters”

Calosoma sycophanta Forest Caterpillar Hunter Imported from Europe to manage gypsy moth in the eastern United States

Calosoma sycophanta

Ground Beetles Some emit foul odors when handled Brachinus the bombardier beetles eject a chemical irritant when threatened or offensively The chemical vaporizes when it contacts air and creates what resembles a puff of smoke

Bombardier Beetles

Family Staphylinidae Rove Beetles

Family Staphylinidae Largest family in North America – nearly 3,200 species The bodies are slender and elongate They usually have a shortened elytra with an exposed abdomen Active – flies and runs rapidly Usually black or brown in color

Rove Beetles Resembles click beetles or earwigs

Rove Beetles Rove beetles have long, slender, sharp mandibles Larger species can inflict a painful bite Roves are typically found in decaying matter, particularly in dung and in carrion Most species are predaceous Found under rocks, along streams, seashore, nests of birds, mammals, ants and termites and…

Cow Pies

Family Elateridae Click Beetles

Family Elateridae Over 800 species in north America Characteristic body shape – elongate with parallel sides Click beetles can right themselves by bending their heads back then snapping forward causing their entire body to flip into the air and making a clicking sound

Click Beetles 12 mm to 30 mm up to 40 mm Most are black or brown Adults are “phytophagous” plant eaters Adults can fly Adults are found in flowers, under bark, on vegetation Some species are predaceous

Click Beetles

Pyrophorus species

Click Beetles Larvae are commonly called wireworms – long, slender, hard-bodied Found in soil and rotting wood Larvae can be very destructive – feeds on roots, seedlings, potatoes

Click Beetle Larvae

Click Beetles

Family Buprestidae Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles

Family Buprestidae Over 670 species in North America Sizes range from 3 mm to 20 mm to 100 mm As a group, they are often referred to as flathead borers Often metallic in appearance – coppery, green, blue, black Hard, compact bodies Characteristic shape – long, flattened bodies with a tapered posterior

Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles

Many are attracted to dead or dying trees Some are foliage feeders They are able to fly or run rapidly Larvae attack live trees, fresh cut trees or dead trees or branches Many cause serious damage to trees and shrubs

Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles

Larvae bore under bark or into wood Their galleries are often winding and filled with frass Tunnels usually enter the tree at an angle and tend to be oval

Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles Flathead Borer Larvae

Family Tenebrionidae Darkling Beetles

Family Tenebrionidae Fifth largest family of beetles in North America Approximately 1,000 species Most are black or brownish with a few having red markings on the elytra Darkling Beetle

Darkling Beetles Many are black and smooth resembling ground beetles Some are brown and rough resembling bark beetles Some have extremely hard exoskeletons – Ironclad beetles Ironclad Beetle

Darkling Beetles Assumes the role of Carabidae in arid regions Tenebrionidae point their abdomen upwards at about a 45º angle Emits an unpleasant smelling reddish- black fluid Defensive Posture

Darkling Beetles Most are plant feeders, some fungus feeders Some feed on stored grains and flour Larvae are referred to as mealworms – similar to wireworms Tenebrionidae are flightless – no hind wings, fused elytra Mealworms

Family Dermestidae Dermestid Beetles

Family Dermestidae A.K.A skin beetles or carpet beetles About 130 species in North America A small beetle – 2 to 12 mm Dermestid Beetles

Mostly scavengers Many are very destructive household pests Dermestids feed on plant and animal products including leather, furs, skins, museum specimens, insect collections, woolens, silks, rugs and carpets, carrion, flowers, etc.

Dermestid Damage Remnants of an Insect Collection Dermestids Feeding on Grain

Woolly Bears Dermestids are usually hairy or covered with scales In nature they are a valuable scavenger and carrion feeder Larvae are often referred to as “woolly bears”

Skull Cleaning Anyone? The species Dermestes is used by zoologists to clean skeletons

Family Anobiidae Cigarette & Drugstore Beetles

Family Anobiidae Over 300 species in North America Another really small beetle – 1 to 9 mm Anobium punctatum

Cigarette & Drugstore Beetles Common pest in stored cereals, spices, pet food Anobiidae bore into wooden furniture “Death Watch” beetle bore into wood making a ticking sound Death-Watch Beetle

Family Coccinellidae Ladybird Beetles

Family Coccinellidae A.K.A. lady beetles and ladybugs Over 470 species in North America Small – 0.8 to 10 mm Convergent Ladybird Beetle

Ladybird Beetles Oval, convex body Often brightly colored Most are predaceous Feeds primarily on aphids So Many Aphids, So Little Time

Ladybird Beetles Diapause Ladybird beetles overwinter as adults in large masses on rocks, fallen logs, trees, etc.

Ladybird Beetles Larvae are elongate, spiny, often black with bright colored bands or spots Pupae Larvae

Family Chrysomelidae Leaf Beetles

Family Chrysomelidae Small beetles to 5 mm Broadly oval to circular Often very attractive Some species of tortoise beetles resemble ladybird beetles

Leaf Beetle Family Chrysomelidae

Australian Leaf Beetle Trachymela sloanei A.K.A. Australian Tortoise Beetle First discovered in Riverside County in 1998 Now throughout Southern California, the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area wherever eucalyptus are found

Australian Leaf Beetle Australian Leaf Beetle Adults

Australian Leaf Beetle Adults are strong fliers, expected to spread Australian tortoise beetles are defoliators Adults and larvae chew semicircular to irregular notches New growth is also removed

Family Cerambycidae Long-Horned Beetles

Family Cerambycidae About 1,000 species in North America Most are elongate and cylindrical Many have very long antennae Many are brightly colored

Long-Horned Beetle

All Cerambycidae are plant feeders Some flower feeders and most are wood- boring in the larval stage Many are very destructive to shade trees, forests, fruit trees and cut wood Considered round-headed borers leaving round galleries

Twig-Girdler The female twig-girdler lays eggs in the ends of small, live branches She then girdles the branch cutting off the water supply The branch drops to the ground and the larvae feed on the dead wood

Twig-Girdler

Eucalyptus Long-Horned Borer There are two closely related species Phoracantha semipunctata Phoracantha recurva

Phoracantha semipunctata Introduced into California in the 1980s Now throughout California Attacks and kills large numbers of trees annually Stressed trees are most susceptible

Phoracantha recurva Discovered in 1995 Found throughout Southern California counties Expected to spread throughout the state wherever eucalyptus exist

Eucalyptus Long-Horned Borer Attracted to fresh-cut wood, dying limbs and stressed trees Capable fliers, able to migrate readily Controls: Keep trees healthy and free from dead branches Cover wood piles Consider removal in minimally managed or unmanaged areas

Superfamily Curculionoidae Weevils and Snout Beetles

Superfamily Curculionoidae More than 3,100 species in North America Nearly species all feed on plant materials

Snout Beetle

Weevils and Snout Beetles Larvae are “C”-shaped, usually legless and burrowers Larvae infest nuts, twigs, etc. Serious pests to stored products, field crops, gardens, shade trees and fruit trees