Omophron americanum, the American round sand beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in, as well as native to, North America, ranging across most of the United States and Canada, except British Columbia.[1][2][3][4][5]

Omophron americanum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Genus: Omophron
Species:
O. americanum
Binomial name
Omophron americanum
Dejean, 1831

Omophron americanum has a broad and rather flat shape, with a length between 5.1 and 7.0 mm.[5] Reddish-yellow with dark markings, its colour pattern is variable on its upper surface, with a darker, brown underside.[5] It has a striated elytron, a V-shaped pale area on the frons, a punctuated metasternum, and two setae on the mesocoxa.[6]

Its habitat is the immediate vicinity of usually standing waters, on bare or sparsely vegetated sandy or clay substrates.[5][6] It exists in altitudes between 260 and 2,200 m.[6]

Copulation occurs between April and May. The female is typically gravid (pregnant) between May and June. Omophron americanum moults and becomes teneral between July and September.[6] It overwinters in the adult stage.[5]

These beetles are gregarious.[6] They also stridulate.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "Omophron americanum report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. ^ "Omophron americanum". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. ^ Bousquet, Yves (2012). "Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera, Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico". ZooKeys (245): 1–1722. doi:10.3897/zookeys.245.3416. PMC 3577090. PMID 23431087.
  4. ^ a b c d e Lindroth, Carl H. & Shpeley, D. (2003). "Species Details: Omophron americanum". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Species Omophron americanum - American Round Sand Beetle - BugGuide.Net". bugguide.net. Retrieved 2020-04-20.

Further reading edit