Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Blackened False Bombardier Beetle

Galerita aequinoctialis Chaudoir 1852

Family Carabidae, Subfamily Harpalinae, Tribe Galeritini

TEX: Cameron Co.
Sabal Palm Grove
Sanct., X-26-1991
Coll. E. G. Riley

TEXAS: Cameron Co.
Sabal Palm Grove
Sanct., IV-8-9-1994
Coll. E. G. Riley

Both specimens curated in the TAMUIC

Range: Cameron County, Texas south to Central America

Similar Species: There are eight Nearctic species of Galerita (Arnett & Thomas, 2000)

Habitat: Forests

Biology:

Little is known about the life history of Galerita, with one detail being outstanding: ovipositioning females of Galerita (Progaleritina) bicolor (Drury 1773) encapsulate their eggs in mud cells, which they attach to the undersides of smooth leaves (King 1919). The distinctive larva and oviposition habit suggest an unusual way of life. (Ball & Bousquet 2001)

Etymology: Galerita aequinoctialis Chaudoir

galer (L). A cap
aequa (L). Equal, level
noctua (L). A night owl

Biography: Maximilien Chaudoir (1816 - 1881) was a Russian entomologist specializing on Carabidae - Wikipedia

References:

Ball, G.E. & Y. Bousquet. 2001. Carabidae Latreille, 1810, Pp. 32-132, In: Arnett, R.H. and M.C. Thomas (editors). American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. xvi + 443 pp.

Ball, G.E. & A.P. Nimmo. 1983. Synopsis of the species of subgenus Proglaeritina Jeannel, including reconstructed phylogeny and geographical history (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Galerita Fabricius). Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 109(4): 295-356.

Borror, D.J. 1960. Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms. National Press Books, Palo Alto. v + 134 pp.

King, J.L. 1919. Notes on the biology of the carabid genera Brachynus, Galerita and Chlaenius. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 12: 382-390.

Chaudoir, M. de. 1852. Mémoire sur la famille des carabiques. 3 Partie. Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, 25: 1-104.

Musgrave, A. 1932. Bibliography of Australian Entomology, 1775-1930, with biographical notes on authors and collectors. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Sydney. viii + 380.

Reichardt, H. 1967. A monographic revision of the American Galeritini (Coleoptera. Carabidae). Arquives de Zoologia, 25(1-2): 1-176.

Rossini, C., A.B. Attygalle, A. Gonzalez, S.R. Smedley, M. Eisner, J. Meinwald, & T. Eisner. 1997. Defensive production of formic acid (80%) by a carabid beetle (Galerita lecontei). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 94(13): 6792-6797.