Colenis impunctata LeConte

Pictured below is a specimen of Colenis impunctata LeConte collected in a hemlock forest at Big Dam Lake, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Canada by Heather Love, June 27-July 7, 2004. This species of the Leiodidae, the Round Fungus Beetles, is a rare member of the Nova Scotia fauna, only three specimens having been collected here to date (the other two were found in Guysborough and Yarmouth counties).

There are four species in the genus and they are distributed across Canada and in the eastern United States. Very little is known about the bionomics of this genus. They may possibly feed on subterranean fungi as do other members of the Leiodinae such as Colon, Catopocerus, and Leiodes.

The labrum is shallowly emarginate, the tarsal formula is 5-4-4, and elytra and pronotum have fine, transverse striolae, and no longitudinal rows of punctures. They are 1.5-2.0 mm in length.

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Ventral Habitus

Dorsal Habitus

References

Peck, S. B. 2001. Leiodidae Fleming, 1821. In Arnett, R.H., Jr. & Thomas, M.C. [Eds] American Beetles, Volume 1: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. pp. 250-258.

Many thanks to Stewart Peck of Carleton University for confirming the determination of the specimen.