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Tom Murray | profile | all galleries >> Arthropods - Arthropoda >> Insects - Insecta >> Beetles - Coleoptera >> Round Fungus Beetles - Leiodidae tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Round Fungus Beetles - Leiodidae

Agathidium sp.
Agathidium sp.		 Agathidium sp.
Agathidium sp.		 Agathidium sp.
Agathidium sp.		 Agathidium sp.
Agathidium sp.		 Agathidium sp.
Agathidium sp.		 Agathidium sp.
Agathidium sp.
Anisotoma inops
Anisotoma inops		 Anisotoma obsoleta
Anisotoma obsoleta		 Catops americanus
Catops americanus		 Catops basilaris
Catops basilaris		 Catops basilaris
Catops basilaris		 Catops paramericanus
Catops paramericanus
Catops simplex
Catops simplex		 Catops simplex
Catops simplex		 Catops sp.
Catops sp.		 Catops sp.
Catops sp.		 Catops sp.
Catops sp.		 Colon asperatum
Colon asperatum
Colon schwarzi
Colon schwarzi		 Leiodes appalachiana
Leiodes appalachiana		 Leiodes assimilis
Leiodes assimilis		 Leiodes assimilis
Leiodes assimilis		 Nemadus hornii
Nemadus hornii		 Nemadus hornii
Nemadus hornii
Nemadus hornii
Nemadus hornii		 Nemadus triangulum
Nemadus triangulum		 Ptomaphagus sp. (P.brevior?)
Ptomaphagus sp. (P.brevior?)		 Ptomaphagus sp. (P.brevior?)
Ptomaphagus sp. (P.brevior?)		 Sciodrepoides terminans
Sciodrepoides terminans		 Sciodrepoides terminans
Sciodrepoides terminans
Sciodrepoides terminans
Sciodrepoides terminans		 Sciodrepoides terminans
Sciodrepoides terminans		 Sciodrepoides watsoni
Sciodrepoides watsoni

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Guest 14-May-2009 13:07
Awesome photographs of these little guys. As a field mycologist in the southeast, I've often noted leiodid predation upon mushrooms. Little beetles come tumbling out of the pileus. Took me a some effort with insect lit sources just to key them down to this family. Never got to genus level, didn't have the technical references to get there. But looking at these shots, I'm convinced: type genus Leiodes.

Good way to collect them is simply get fleshy wild mushrooms, put 'em in an open jar (with nylon cover to allow air but not entrance/exit of insects), and let nature take it's course. Many if not most big mushrooms -- agarics and boletes alike -- will yield specimens. I gather the larvae live in, and feed upon, the fungus. "Symbiotic endopredation?"

Most curious. Thanks for posting these dynamite pics Tom Murray, whoever you are (akerspb@hotmail.com)
Marci Anderson 03-May-2009 03:26
Im so greatful for this website! I've been trying to identify this beetle for an hour now! Glad to know its a beetle and not a roach!
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