Beetles of Eastern North America

About this book

Beetles of Eastern North America is a landmark book – the most comprehensive full-color guide to the remarkably diverse and beautiful beetles of the United States and Canada east of the Mississippi River. It is the first color-illustrated guide to cover 1,400 species in all 115 families that occur in the region – and the first new in-depth guide to the region in more than forty years. Lavishly illustrated with over 1500 stunning color images by some of the best insect photographers in North America, Beetles of Eastern North America features an engaging and authoritative text by noted beetle expert Arthur Evans.

Extensive introductory sections provide essential information on beetle anatomy, reproduction, development, natural history, behavior, and conservation. Also included are tips on where and when to find beetles; how to photograph, collect, and rear beetles; and how to contribute to research. Each family and species account presents concise and easy-to-understand information on identification, natural history, collecting, and geographic range. Organized by family, Beetles of Eastern North America also includes an illustrated key to the most common beetle families, with 31 drawings that aid identification, and features current information on distribution, biology, and taxonomy not found in other guides.

Contents

Preface 7
Acknowledgments 8
How to Use This Book 9
Classification 9
Key to Families 9
Family Diagnoses 9
Species Accounts 9
Species Identification 10

Introduction to Beetles 11
Beetle Anatomy 11
Behavior and Natural History 19
When and Where to Find Beetles 33
Observing and Photographing Beetles 36
Beetle Conservation and the Ethics of Collecting 38
Collecting and Preserving Beetles 39
Making a Beetle Collection 45
Keeping and Rearing Beetles in Captivity 49
Taking an Active Role in Beetle Research 52

Illustrated Key to the Common Beetle Families of Eastern North America 53
Beetles of Eastern North America 59
Reticulated beetles (Cupedidae) 60
Telephone-pole beetles (Micromalthidae) 61
Minute bog beetles (Sphaeriusidae) 62
Ground, tiger, and wrinkled bark beetles (Carabidae) 63
Whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) 94
Crawling water beetles (Haliplidae) 96
Burrowing water beetles (Noteridae) 97
Predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) 99
Water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae) 105
Clown beetles (Histeridae) 110
Minute moss beetles (Hydraenidae) 114
Featherwing beetles (Ptiliidae) 115
Primitive carrion beetles (Agyrtidae) 117
Round fungus beetles (Leiodidae) 118
Burying and carrion beetles (Silphidae) 120
Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) 124
Stag beetles (Lucanidae) 142
Bess beetles (Passalidae) 145
Enigmatic scarab beetles (Glaresidae) 146
Hide beetles (Trogidae) 147
Earth-boring scarab beetles (Geotrupidae) 149
Sand-loving scarab beetles (Ochodaeidae) 152
Scavenger and pill scarab beetles (Hybosoridae) 153
Bumble bee scarabs (Glaphyridae) 155
Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) 156
Plate-thigh beetles (Eucinetidae) 178
Minute beetles (Clambidae) 179
Marsh beetles (Scirtidae) 180
Cicada parasite beetles (Rhipiceridae) 183
Metallic wood-boring or jewel beetles (Buprestidae) 184
Pill or moss beetles (Byrrhidae) 195
Riffle beetles (Elmidae) 196
Long-toed water beetles (Dryopidae) 198
Travertine beetles (Lutrochidae) 200
Minute marsh-loving beetles (Limnichidae) 201
Variegated mud-loving beetles (Heteroceridae) 202
Water penny beetles (Psephenidae) 203
Ptilodactylid beetles (Ptilodactylidae) 204
Chelonariid beetles (Chelonariidae) 206
Callirhipid beetles (Callirhipidae) 207
Artematopodid beetles (Artematopodidae) 208
Rare click beetles (Cerophytidae) 209
False click beetles (Eucnemidae) 210
Throscid beetles (Throscidae) 211
Click beetles (Elateridae) 213
Net-winged beetles (Lycidae) 229
Glowworms (Phengodidae) 233
Fireflies, lightningbugs, and glowworms (Lampyridae) 234
False soldier and false firefly beetles (Omethidae) 237
Soldier beetles (Cantharidae) 238
Tooth-neck fungus beetles (Derodontidae) 243
Wounded-tree beetles (Nosodendridae) 244
Jacobsoniid beetles (Jacobsoniidae) 245
Skin beetles (Dermestidae) 246
Endecatomid beetles (Endecatomidae) 249
Bostrichid beetles (Bostrichidae) 250
Death-watch and spider beetles (Ptinidae) 252
Ship-timber beetles (Lymexylidae) 258
Bark-gnawing beetles and cadelles (Trogossitidae) 259
Checkered beetles (Cleridae) 263
Soft-winged flower beetles (Melyridae) 271
Fruitworm beetles (Byturidae) 274
Cryptic slime mold beetles (Sphindidae) 275
False skin beetles (Biphyllidae) 276
Pleasing fungus and lizard beetles (Erotylidae) 277
Root-eating beetles (Monotomidae) 281
Silken fungus beetles (Cryptophagidae) 283
Silvanid flat bark beetles (Silvanidae) 285
Flat bark beetles (Cucujidae) 288
Parasitic flat bark beetles (Passandridae) 289
Shining flower and shining mold beetles (Phalacridae) 290
Lined flat bark beetles (Laemophloeidae) 291
Short-winged flower beetles (Kateretidae) 293
Sap beetles (Nitidulidae) 295
Cybocephalid beetles (Cybocephalidae) 304
Palmetto beetles (Smicripidae) 305
Bothriderid beetles (Bothrideridae) 305
Minute bark beetles (Cerylonidae) 307
Handsome fungus beetles (Endomychidae) 308
Lady beetles (Coccinellidae) 311
Minute hooded and fungus beetles (Corylophidae) 320
Minute brown scavenger beetles (Latridiidae) 322
Hairy fungus beetles (Mycetophagidae) 323
Archeocrypticid beetles (Archeocrypticidae) 325
Minute tree-fungus beetles (Ciidae) 326
Polypore fungus beetles (Tetratomidae) 327
False darkling beetles (Melandryidae) 329
Tumbling flower beetles (Mordellidae) 333
Ripiphorid beetles (Ripiphoridae) 338
Zopherid beetles (Zopheridae) 340
Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) 344
Synchroa bark beetles (Synchroidae) 359
False longhorn beetles (Stenotrachelidae) 360
False blister beetles (Oedemeridae) 362
Blister beetles (Meloidae) 365
Palm and flower beetles (Mycteridae) 369
Conifer bark beetles (Boridae) 371
Dead log beetles (Pythidae) 372
Fire-colored beetles (Pyrochroidae) 373
Narrow-waisted bark beetles (Salpingidae) 376
Antlike flower beetles (Anthicidae) 377
Ischaliid beetles (Ischaliidae) 382
Antlike leaf beetles (Aderidae) 382
False flower beetles (Scraptiidae) 384
Disteniid longhorn beetles (Disteniidae) 387
Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) 388
Megalopodid leaf beetles (Megalopodidae) 428
Orsodacnid leaf beetles (Orsodacnidae) 429
Leaf and seed beetles (Chrysomelidae) 429
Pine flower snout beetles (Nemonychidae) 457
Fungus weevils (Anthribidae) 458
Cycad weevils (Belidae) 462
Leaf-rolling and thief weevils, and toothnose snout beetles (Attelabidae) 462
Straight-snouted and pear-shaped weevils (Brentidae) 466
Weevils, and snout, bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae) 469

Appendix: Classification of the Beetles Covered in This Book 501
Glossary 523
Selected References and Resources 527
Photo and Illustration Credits 530
Index 537

Customer Reviews

Biography

Arthur V. Evans is an entomologist, author, lecturer, photographer, and broadcaster. He has written and cowritten many books, including An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles, the Field Guide to Beetles of California, and the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America.