1. Family Carabidae Ground Beetles

2. 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

3. 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

4. Ground Beetles

5. 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”

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

7. Calosoma sycophanta

9. 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

10. Bombardier Beetles

11. Family Staphylinidae Rove Beetles

12. 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

13. Rove Beetles Resembles click beetles or earwigs

14. 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…

15. Cow Pies

16. Family Elateridae Click Beetles

17. 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

18. 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

19. Click Beetles

20. Pyrophorus species

21. 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

22. Click Beetle Larvae

23. Click Beetles

24. Family Buprestidae Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles

25. 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

26. Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles

27. 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

28. Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles

30. 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

31. Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles Flathead Borer Larvae

32. Family Tenebrionidae Darkling Beetles

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. Family Dermestidae Dermestid Beetles

38. 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

39. 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.

40. Dermestid Damage Remnants of an Insect Collection Dermestids Feeding on Grain

41. 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”

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

43. Family Anobiidae Cigarette & Drugstore Beetles

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

45. 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

46. Family Coccinellidae Ladybird Beetles

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

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

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

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

51. Family Chrysomelidae Leaf Beetles

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

53. Leaf Beetle Family Chrysomelidae

54. 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

55. Australian Leaf Beetle Australian Leaf Beetle Adults

56. 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

57. Family Cerambycidae Long-Horned Beetles

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

59. Long-Horned Beetle

60. 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

61. 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

62. Twig-Girdler

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

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

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

66. 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

67. Superfamily Curculionoidae Weevils and Snout Beetles

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

69. Snout Beetle

70. 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