Beetles of Greater San Diego County
Carabidae
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Callisthenes semilaevis det. P. Messer Lake Hodges, Rancho Bernardo, California Found on spring vegetation, coastal sage scrub habitat. |
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Callisthenes semilaevis
Henderson Canyon Road, Borrego Springs, California One of many during a rich spring, following significant rain in 2016/2017. |
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Callisthenes semilaevis
Henderson Canyon Road, Borrego Springs, California Eating a dead Hyles lineata caterpillar, which looks like it might have been stepped on. |
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Callisthenes semilaevis
Henderson Canyon Road, Borrego Springs, California Mating pair. |
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Calosoma parvicolle det. P. Messer Southwestern College campus, Chula Vista, California Found on a grassy lawn in spring. |
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Calosoma parvicolle
Borrego Dunes area, S. of Pegleg Rd., Borrego Springs, California This was one of many in a rich spring following rains in 2016/2017. |
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Cicindela oregona
Loveland Reservoir, California This individual was found along a stream edge on the east side of the reservoir. |
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Cicindela latesignata
S. of Imperial Beach, California This mating pair were right at the water's edge and got slightly wet from a small wave! |
Dytiscidae
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Thermonectus marmoratus Santa Ysabel, California Found at lights at night. |
Silphidae
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Nicrophorus guttala East of Eagle Peak, California Oak parkland habitat. |
Staphylinidae
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Thinopinus pictus
Just north of Imperial Beach, California Found under seaweed at high tide mark. |
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Thinopinus pictus
Just north of Imperial Beach, California Found under seaweed at high tide mark. |
Trogidae
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Omorgus suberosus
Borrego Springs, California This individual was found four days after a heavy monsoonal rain. |
Pleocomidae
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Pleocoma puncticollis Male Ramona, California Found at dusk after moderate rain, December 13, 2012. Oak woodland habitat, surrounded by chaparral. |
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Pleocoma puncticollis Male Ramona, California |
Geotrupidae
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Bolbocerastes regalis Male Borrego Springs, California |
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Bolbocerastes regalis Female Borrego Springs, California |
Hybosoridae
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Hybosorus illigeri
Borrego Springs, California This individual was found four days after a heavy monsoonal rain. This is a member of the Scavenger Scarab Beetle family. It is non-native, and was introduced from Europe in the 19th century. |
Scarabaeidae
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Aphodius sp.
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual came to a black light in March. |
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Diplotaxis sp.
Borrego Springs, California |
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Dinacoma marginata
San Felipe Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Dinacoma marginata
San Felipe Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Dichelonyx sp.
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was one of many that visited lights after dark. This is a mixed deciduous/coniferous forest at around 4900 feet. |
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Dichelonyx sp.
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was one of many that visited lights after dark. This is a mixed deciduous/coniferous forest at around 4900 feet. |
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Dichelonyx sp.
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California Just before take-off. |
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Coenonycha lurida
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual came to black light on a March night. |
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Paracotalpa ursina Mira Mesa, California This individual was found clinging to the Science Building at Miramar College on April 1, 2013. There is a small population that exists on campus at this college, despite the intense construction and disturbance of the area over the years. This species also occurs at nearby Miramar Lake. |
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Paracotalpa puncticollis Little Blair Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Cyclocephala sp. (probably C. longula)
Borrego Springs, California This individual was found four days after a heavy monsoonal rain. |
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Cyclocephala sp.
Doane Pond, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was found exposed on a dirt pathway on a sunny day, and moved to the shade for a photograph! |
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Tomarus gibbosus Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park In riparian area. |
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Cremastocheilus armatus montanus det. W. Warner through Bugguide.net Ramona, California |
Buprestidae
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Poecilonota salixi
det. R. Velten San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert This individual was beaten from a large willow on a cool, damp day in May. |
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Poecilonota salixi
det. R. Velten San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert This individual was beaten from a large willow on a cool, damp day in May. |
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Poecilonota salixi
det. R. Velten San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert This individual was beaten from a large willow on a cool, damp day in May. |
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Poecilonota salixi
det. R. Velten San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert This individual was beaten from a large willow on a cool, damp day in May. |
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Acmaeodera connexa
Doane Pond, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was found on a warm June day. |
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Acmaeodera connexa and bombyliids (Thevenetimyia sp.)
Doane Pond, Palomar Mountain, California |
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Acmaeodera gibbula Scissors Crossing, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Acmaeodera prorsa
Laguna Mountains. Cam to Lindgren Funnel. |
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Acmaeodera retifera Lake Sutherland, California |
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Acmaeodera vernalis
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Acmaeodera sphaeralceae Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Gyascutus planicosta Borrego Springs, California |
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Gyascutus planicosta Borrego Springs, California |
Elateridae
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Octinodes megalops
San Felipe Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California This beetle came to a black light in a mesquite-dominated desert habitat. |
Cantharidae
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Silis sp.
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was flying about on vegetation in the late afternoon. |
Cleridae
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Enoclerus quadrisignatus San Felipe Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Trichodes ornatus, yellow morph East of Ramona, on trail to Cedar Creek Falls |
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Trichodes ornatus, red morph Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park In riparian area. |
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Trichodes ornatus pair
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This pair found on Encelia farinosa in a riparian area. |
Coccinellidae
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Coccinella septempunctata Loveland Reservoir, California This individual was on Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) |
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Coccinella septempunctata Loveland Reservoir, California This pair was found on Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) |
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Hippodamia convergens
Loveland Reservoir, California This pair was found on Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) |
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Hippodamia convergens
Fry Creek, Palomar Mountain, California Many lady beetles, including this one, were nectaring on Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica). The adults of this species are carnivorous, and also feed on nectar or pollen. |
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Anatis rathvoni
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual seemed out of place at a black light after dark on a March evening. The nearest conifers were many miles distant! |
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Olla v-nigrum
1 mile W. Shelter valley, Anza Borrego Desert, California This one was on mesquite, on a cool, damp morning in May. |
Ripiphoridae
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Macrosiagon cruenta
San Felipe Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
Tenebrionidae
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Eusattus difficilis
San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Eusattus difficilis
San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Eusattus dubius
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual was found on a dirt road after dark. It was quite small - around 8 mm long or so. |
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Stenomorpha cressoni Near Shelter Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, California Out after dark in a mesquite-dominated habitat. |
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Tenebrionid, possibly Stenomorpha sp.?
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This tenebrionid was the only one of its kind seen. It was about 10-12 mm long, so fairly small. Somewhat hairy. It was out on a cool evening in March. |
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Eleodes armatus Clark's Dry Lake, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Eleodes grandicollis
San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Eleodimorpha bolcan
det. A. Johnston Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California Several were seen after dark crawling on the forest floor. |
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Asbolus verrucosus
Coyote Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Asbolus verrucosus
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California Performing a "partial" headstand. Found at night on a dirt road. |
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Cryptoglossa muricata Indian Gorge, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Edrotes ventricosus
Coyote Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Microschatia inaequalis
Lake Hodges, San Diego, California |
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Cerenopus concolor
Coyote Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Group of darkling beetles, rummaging around in debris outside an ant nest. The lighter one in the center is Cryptoglossa muricata. San Felipe Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
Meloidae
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Cysteodemus armatus
Borrego Springs, California |
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Cysteodemus armatus
Borrego Dunes area, S. of Pegleg Rd., Borrego Springs, California |
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Eupompha elegans Along Henderson Canyon Road, Borrego Springs, California This is the morph I see most often in the Anza Borrego Desert. |
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Eupompha elegans
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Eupompha elegans
Crest, California A different morph than the one show above. This seems to be a morph seen west of the mountains in southern California. |
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Nemognatha sp.
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California In riparian area. |
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Nemognatha sp.
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California This individual was found four days following heavy monsoonal rain. It is nectaring at Petalonyx thurberi, which was flowering in some abundance at First Crossing. |
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Nemognatha sp.
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California This is the same individual shown above, cleaning its mouthparts after feeding. |
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Lytta auriculata Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California In riparian area. |
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Lytta auriculata
Indian Gorge, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Lytta magister Borrego Springs, California |
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Lytta magister
Between Ocotillo Wells an Highway 86, Anza Borrego Desert Mating pair. One of many in field of Desert Sunflower following rains of 2016/2017. |
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Lytta magister in flight Between Ocotillo Wells an Highway 86, Anza Borrego Desert |
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Lytta stygica San Felipe Creek area, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Lytta vulnerata Near Shelter Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Lytta nitidicollis East of Ramona, California |
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Pyrota palpalis One mile W. of Shelter Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, California On a small composite flower several days following heavy monsoonal rains. |
Cerambycidae
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Derobrachus geminatus
Anza Borrego Desert, California The very close-set eyes are one way to distinguish D. geminatus from D. hovorei. |
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Eustromula validum Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Phoracantha recurva Ramona, California A native of Australia. A pest of eucalyptus trees. |
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Osmidus guttatus
Borrego Springs, California This individual was found four days after a heavy monsoonal rain. |
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Anelaphus albofasciatus
Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual came to a light set up after dark. |
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Oeme costata
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California Three females came to a light set-up after dark. This species was quite abundant in Cuyamaca Woods (North Peak, Cuyamaca Mts.), in the five or so years following the Cedar Fire, but then dwindled to none in that location (at least that I have observed). |
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Callimoxys fuscipennis
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was found resting on vegetation in the late afternoon. |
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Plionoma suturalis Scissors Crossing, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Plionoma suturalis Scissors Crossing, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Judolia sexspilota Lake Sutherland, California |
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Neobellamira delicata australis
Fry Creek Campground, Palomar Mountain, California This individual was flying around actively at Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica). |
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Cortodera falsa
Plum Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual was visiting flowers in the desert during a rich spring following a wet winter. |
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Moneilema semipunctatum
Indian Gorge, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual was found walking on the ground on a warm July night. |
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Tetraopes sp. (likely either T. femoratus or T. sublaevis) Lake Sutherland, California |
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Ipochus fasciatus
Palomar College Arboretum, San Marcos, California Beaten from a Baccharis-like shrub. |
Chrysomelidae
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Trirhabda geminata
Culp Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, California This individual was on Encelia farinosa, for which this beetle species has a strong association. |
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Chrysochus cobaltina Lake Sutherland, California A common visitor to milkweed. |
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Lema daturaphila Three-lined Potato Beetle Loveland Reservoir, California This adult and quite a few larvae were found on Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) |
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Lema daturaphila Larva Three-lined Potato Beetle Loveland Reservoir, California Several larvae, including this one, and one adult were found on Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) |
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Trachymela sloanei
Australian Tortoise Beetle This is a non-native species first found in Riverside County in 1998. This individual was found in February of 2016 under the bark of a eucalyptus in Santa Ysabel, California. |
Curculionidae
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Apleurus albovestitus
Coyote Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
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Sphenophorus aequalis
Clay-colored Billbug Lake Hodges, San Diego, California This individual was found at the water's edge. |
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Sphenophorus sp. Coyote Creek, Anza Borrego Desert, California |
