Amblyderus pallens is a species of antlike flower beetle in the family Anthicidae. It is found in North America.[1][3][4] Amblyderus pallens is a small flightless beetle that inhabits the dunes across the United States and southern Canada with the exception of western North America.[2] It is also referred to as the Pale Ant-like Flower Beetle.[5] NatureServe considers the species critically imperiled (SI) in Saskatchwan and Manitoba, Canada.[5]
Description
Their body length ranges from 3.1 to 4.2 mm and their colour varies from yellow to light yellow and brown. Their back (dorsum) is lightly reticulated, though sometimes the head is smooth. This species has appressed body setae (hair), that is dense on their elytra. Lastly, A. pallens has reduced flight wings.[2]
Habitat and distribution
Amblyderus pallens live in dune and sandy beach habitats.[6][7] The adults are found in the sand hiding under plants and debris like beach drift and also among grass roots up to 4-8 cm under the surface.[8][9]They are usually found between May to August,[8] but can also be active from November to February.[2]
In Canada, they have been recorded in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and News Brunswick.[2][8][10] More recently, they have been discovered in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.[11] In the United States, they have been recorded in Arizona, Colorado,[6] Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,[7] Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.[2]
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Chandler, Donald S (1999). "Revision of the North American species of Amblyderus with a checklist of the world species (Coleoptera: Anthicidae)". Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 125 (3): 269–293. JSTOR25078683.
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Bright, Donald E; Kondratieff, Boris C (2023). 14. A distributional checklist of the beetles (Coleoptera) of Colorado. Insects of western North America. Fort Collins, Colorado: C. P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University.
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Blatchley, W.S. (1910). On the Coleptera known to occur in Indiana; an illustrative descriptive catalog of the Coleoptera or beetles (exclusive of the Rhynchophora) known to occur in Indiana with bibliography and descriptions of new species. Indianapolis, Indiana: The Nature Publishing Company. pp. 1–1386.
