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A small but long Tenomerga beetle. About 15mm to the tip of it's antennae. Inactive, still trying to convince me that it is not a living thing. This beetle can fold itself up straight to mimic a dried stick. It was found doing this in the middle of a big leaf. Light brown body with some black marks on it's upperside, long thick antennae with brownish tip. Only 2 species are recorded from Borneo - T. moultoni & T. favella which there are no good online reference for these species.
On this tree - http://images.plurk.com/4zmuYsME8MYTFmgt...
>>>Map accuracy : 5km diameter.
Spotted on Nov 13, 2012
Submitted on Dec 12, 2012
6 Comments
Thank you again Lauren.
Only 2 Cupedidae beetle species are recorded from Borneo.
Those two are the Tenomerga moultoni & T. favella.
I could not find an online reference good enough to describe these two species though.
Cupedid beetle in Baltic Amber, 60 million years old!
http://www.truebalticamber.com/large-cup...
Of course! Cupedidae are the Reticulated Beetles and looking at the elytra I should have known. It is so unique. There are many fossils of this family, more than there are extant species and there is one in Baltic amber, 60 million years old and hardly any different than those of today. Insects always make me realize how little we have existed as a species (and to have done so much damage).
Love your beetle.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Thank you Lauren, with some further search I found the genus Tenomerga which matches this insect.
Could this be a Cucujidae?