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SoCal Polyphylla sp.


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Hello,

 

I found this literally outside my house, on the first step off the door.

I believe it's a Polyphylla sp., possibly cavifrons; though I'm just basing myself on some light reading done overnight.

 

Has anybody kept these, and if so, can you offer any tips?

 

Thanks,

 

OM

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Orin can probably shed a bit more light on them. I can say from experience that they are happy to lay eggs, even on the bottom of a bare deli cup. Pine feeders as a group, I think. Keying the species out is probably near to impossible as there are supposedly numerous species in the US. Oh, check out bugguide.net:

 

http://bugguide.net/node/view/8123

 

Yours are more hairy and pale than others I've seen, including several and various lined and unlined Western species.

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Hello Peter,

 

thank you for your reply.

I looked at Bugguide and the only similar beetle there would be P. cavifrons.

I also did some further reading, an found in the Coleopterist Bulletin a paper by Alan R. Hardy that P. cavifrons has a prothorax without erect hairs on the disc.

 

It seems that the species as been found ~40-50 miles from where i am situated, and am not doubting their ability to fly out such distances; yet I can't be 100% sure of making the correct ID.

 

I may see an entomology professor later in the day at the Kidspace Bug Fair, may ask him if he knows anything about it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ohh neato let me know how they work out for you!

 

Hello Peter,

 

thank you for your reply.

I looked at Bugguide and the only similar beetle there would be P. cavifrons.

I also did some further reading, an found in the Coleopterist Bulletin a paper by Alan R. Hardy that P. cavifrons has a prothorax without erect hairs on the disc.

 

It seems that the species as been found ~40-50 miles from where i am situated, and am not doubting their ability to fly out such distances; yet I can't be 100% sure of making the correct ID.

 

I may see an entomology professor later in the day at the Kidspace Bug Fair, may ask him if he knows anything about it.

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