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Ant-like Leaf Beetle

Photo by LaurenZarate
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

I zoomed in on a tiny 2 mm speck and to my surprise, it was a beautiful miniature Beetle. It is sparkly white with striking black bands and spots on the elytra. Family Aderidae (of the Superfamily Tenebrionoidea). They are sometimes called Ant-like Leaf Beetles, although this one is not very ant-like. Supposedly they feed on leaves. This is a very small and understudied Family.

Habitat:

Garden lights, semi-rural residential area, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, 2,200 meters

Notes:

http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/viewFile/zootaxa.4338.3.8/12742

Reference Links:

Aderidae - Wikipedia

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)
LaurenZarate
Wow thaptor! Thank you! I really had thought it was a Clerid. I had never heard of the Family Aderidae, so I am amazed. This one is so beautiful, while all the ones on the internet are quite plain.
thaptor
This is in family Aderidae (understudied)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Mexico Horn of Plenty
Mission
Beetles!
Mission
Insects from Mexico!

Tags

Photographed
PublishedAugust 11, 2018

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