Amara quenseli subspecies quenseli
Amara quenseli subspecies quenseli
Size: 5.2-8.5mm
Seasonality: May-October
Distribution; introduced in North America: NF-AK south to NC-OK-n.NM-CA; in Europe: Southeastern France, Southern Switzerland, Southwestern Austria, Northern Italy.
Information: according to Yves Bousquet: gravel/sand pits, pastures, meadows, fields, roadsides, usually on rather dry sandy soils.
Description: body: elongate-ovate, semi-robust, moderately convex. Dorsal colouration dark, glossy piceous; pronotum with faint, dark orange margins. Ventral colouration dark piceous, nearly black; legs dark to pale orange. Head smallish, triangular, but compact. Surface of the head smooth, with two minor dimples on the frons, which do not continue onto the clypeus. Clypeus slightly wrinkled along the lateral margins, along with one setigerous fovea on either lateral margin. Labrum rectangular, short; with sinuous margins. Mandibles very strongly curved, close to the face; short; partially obscured by the labrum. Eyes not reduced, but not strongly bulging laterally. Two supraorbital setae over each eye. Palpi pale yellow-orange. Antennae amber-brown to orange; antennal pubescence begins on the second antennomere following the pedicel (segment 4). Pronotum somewhat ovate transversely. Front margin weakly curved inward of the pronotal disk; front angles weakly angled forward, rounded-acute; lateral margins rounded; hind angles obtuse, nearly squared; basal margin weakly curved toward the elytral base. Median line thin, typically complete. Most of the disk is convex, while the lateral dorsal margins are slightly impressed. Basal dorsal margin heavily punctate-punctures shallow. Scutellum exposed. No parascutellar pores present. Laterobasal ridges weakly elevated; with minor lip jutting out at the humeral shoulder angle. 8 well-defined striae per elytron, intervals flat; no elytral pubescence. Striae may be faintly or strongly pitted depending on where the individual is from. Humeral shoulders obtuse; lateral margins rounded, elongate; apices weakly sinuate.