Oiceoptoma noveboracense (Forster, 1771)

Mullins, Patricia L., Riley, Edward G. & Oswald, John D., 2013, Identification, distribution, and adult phenology of the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Texas, Zootaxa 3666 (2), pp. 221-251 : 227-228

Oiceoptoma noveboracense (Forster, 1771)

Figs. 21 34 , 47

Silpha noveboracensis Forster, 1771: 17 (see Peck and Miller (1993) for synonymy).

Diagnosis. Body length 13–16 mm, broadly oval to subparallel, brown to black, pronotum with red-orange margins. Head with small eyes, short row of long erect hairs behind each eye. Pronotum broadest at base, disc with short golden hairs. Elytral apices conjointly rounded; humerus with tooth; disc tricostate, intervals distally with weak rugulose sculpturing; epipleuron wide in posterior half with upper oblique portion twice width of lower vertical portion, coloration not differing from remainder of body. Hind femur of males unmodified.

Range. Nova Scotia south to Mississippi, west to Alberta, Montana and Texas (Anderson & Peck 1985, Peck & Kaulbars 1987).

Texas distribution. See Fig. 47 . This species is confined to the northeastern areas of the Texan and Austroriparian biotic provinces of Texas. It occurs in the following Texas vegetational areas: pineywoods and post oak savannah. Confirmed counties (2): Lamar, Wood. Collections: SFAC.

Seasonality in Texas. See Fig. 34 . The adult seasonality profile of this species (based on 7 occurrence records: Appendix I) is unimodal, with a peak in early spring, but the available Texas data are limited.

Biological Notes. Anderson and Peck (1985) report that adults are primarily diurnal and are most commonly found in forested habitats. Lingafelter (1995) also states that this species is mainly a woodland species.

Data from examined labels. Collecting methods: Malaise trap, pit-fall trap. Habitat records: tall grass [Malaise], old growth hardwood forest [Malaise], pine and oak [pit-fall traps], flowers. There are only seven occurrence records of this species in Texas. This species is restricted to the northeastern forested areas of the state. Cole (1942), Schubeck (1969, 1983), and Anderson (1982) discussed the natural history of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 23. Habitus of Texas Silphidae. 18, Necrophila americana; 19, Necrodes surinamensis; 20, Oiceoptoma inaequale; 21, O. noveboracense; 22, O. rugulosum; 23, Thanatophilus truncatus. All scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 30. Habitus of Texas Nicrophorus. 24, N. americanus; 25, N. carolinus; 26, N. marginatus; 27, N. mexicanus; 28, N. pustulatus; 29, N. orbicollis; 30, N. tomentosus. All scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURES 31 – 36. Adult seasonality profiles based on occurrence records for Texas Silphidae, Silphinae. 31, Necrophila americana; 32, Necrodes surinamensis; 33, Oiceoptoma inaequale; 34, O. noveboracense; 35, O. rugulosum; 36, Thanatophilus truncatus. For an explanation of occurrence record calculations, see Methods.

FIGURES 44 – 49. Distribution maps for Texas Silphidae, Silphinae. 44, Necrophila americana; 45, Necrodes surinamensis; 46, Oiceoptoma inaequale; 47, O. noveboracense; 48, O. rugulosum; 49, Thanatophilus truncatus.