A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Ptomaphila lacrymosa
Very flat (similar to some cockroaches) and about 24mm long. This species has tubercules on elytra. Black with tan colouring at margins. Beaded antennae with distinctive yellow tips.
This one was attracted to very bright night lights at a local used car yard.
Apparently these rest by day in shaded places and become active at night. They seek out carrion by scent. To assist in their activities around a corpse they are gifted with a flexible abdomen. Described as 'vultures' of the beetle world it's a rotten job but something has to do it. Although they perform a grizzly task they represent no threat to human health. Thanks to Stephen Thorpe for identity. The same species seen 18 months earlier http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/807... ..and here they are in action on a rat corpse 8-) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KMSdjb0fvhA/Sb...
Welcome, Mark! I always was a louzy football kicker, but I still have good eyes to kick you on and sometimes we need these additional challenges ;-)...
Thanks for kicking us on bayucca. Your 'inverts sense' is in good working order. :)
Thanks Lauren. Great work to get to Silphids. You got it in Flickr. I think I would have been bashing my head on a brick wall until I had more lumps than this beetle.
Ptomaphilia lacrymosa Silphidae
://www.flickr.com/photos/25401497@N02/4528890945/lightbox/
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/silphinae...
Uh oh... thanks so much Stephen. I was looking in all the wrong places. This should be a good read.
Wow. Bayucca made me look closer too. Could it be one of those weird flat Silphids? The tarsi and antennae kind of fit.
Thanks bayucca. I will look at this again from square one. Leuba had one 18 months ago (when we were even greener) so we need to re-check old notes. Stay tuned...
Looking at yours and compare with Helea sp. I am a little bit confused. Not that I dare to challenge your ID from far away, but I am sceptic about the genus. I did not find any matching Lampyridae, that was my first sight guess...
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Pie-dish-...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/centralaust...
What do you think?