ornate harp ground beetle

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Ornate harp ground beetle is a small colorful foliage ground beetle. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada from the East Coast to the Great Plains. Adults are found in agricultural crops, abandoned fields, and woodland openings. Though called ground beetles, they are found on foliage and flowers in the summer. They feed on plant lice and other insects. The larvae feed on the pupae of leaf beetles. They may be host specific, preying on just one species of leaf beetle. This species has been reported feeding on pupae of the cherry leaf beetle. The larvae pupate in the ground near the remnants of their host prey.

Adults are ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (4.0 to 5.5 mm) in length. The body is oval, slender, and black or brownish-black (dark) with dull yellow (pale) markings. It is shiny but it does not have metallic reflections.

The head is blackish and smooth, not pitted (punctured). It is constricted in the rear into a neck. The antennae are long and thread-like, and they have 11 segments. They are inserted between the eyes and the jaws (mandibles). The first three segments are pale and yellowish, the remaining segments are darker and brownish-yellow. The mouth parts are directed forward.

The exoskeletal plate covering the thorax (pronotum) is broader than long. It is slightly wider than the head and much narrower than the wing covers (elytra). The sides are curved. The lateral margins have a distinct, narrow, flattened, sharp edge. There is an incomplete bead along the rear margin. The upper surface is shiny, smooth, and hairless. The color is variable; entirely dark, entirely pale, or dark with pale margins. The exoskeletal plate between the wing bases (scutellum) is visible.

The hardened wing covers (elytra) are broad and flattened. They are long but appear cut off. Unlike most ground beetles, the elytra do not completely cover the abdomen. There is a short ridge at the base and the lateral margins have a distinct, narrow, flattened, sharp edge. Each elytron has several longitudinal grooves. The grooves are shallow and smooth, not punctured. There is a large, pale, tear-drop shaped spot on the basal third originating in the shoulder (humeral) area, and a small pale spot near the tip.

The legs are long, slender, and yellowish. The third segment (femur) on each leg is pale. The fourth segment (tibia) of the front leg has a short spur at the tip. The last part of each leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has five segments. There is a pair of claws at the tip of each tarsus. The claws are comb-like (pectinate).

Total length: ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (4 to 5 mm)

Agricultural crops, abandoned fields, and woodlands openings

Summer

Adults are active during the day on foliage and flowers

Adults overwinter

Larvae of leaf beetles

Plant lice and other insects

Sources

27, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Lebia ornata colorful foliage ground beetle

Lebia ornata are very small beetles, which I've only found on goldenrod sp. They're hard to spot, due to their size, and their habit of climbing under flowers.

Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI

Lebia ornata are very small beetles, which I've only found on goldenrod sp. They're hard to spot, due to their size, and their habit of climbing under flowers.