Usechus lacerta
Usechus lacerta
Size: ~4-5 mm
Seasonality: Most common between July and November
Distribution; California
Information: Can be found under the bark of various trees feeding on fungus or on shelf fungi, often in small groups.
An antenal groove seen dorsally (top) and from the side (right)
Description: Body: elongate-oblong, moderately robust. Head, pronotum and elytra dark brown to red-brown and rarely bright orange or red-orange. Elytra covered in many medium punctures, ridges and few small tubercles. Elytra with many small yellow setae on the dorsal surface, concentrated on the tubercles and ridges. Pronotum as long as wide, covered in many medium flattened nodules and yellow setae and with two elevated carina that cross from the base of the pronotum to the apex. Lateral margins of pronotum very obvious and pronounced. Pronotum with two obvious antennal grooves on either side of the head extending slightly above the lateral margin. These grooves are open from above and are complete. Head covered in a medium amount of pits and setae. Some of these pits appear setigerous. Underside of entire body with many setigerous pores, varying in size. Appendages brown or red-brown. Tarsal formula: 5-5-4. Antennae: red-brown, clavate, 11-segmented, 3-segment club.
Elytra with evenly spaced ridges running to the elytral tips. Elyra also with various medium sized tubercles. Humeral angles ~90° . Margins of elytra subparallel. Elytral edges slightly serrated near the apex. Two ridges on each elytron join together at the elytral base to form two inconspicuous, small tubercles that do not protrude over the pronotal base:
Collection notes:
Has been collected from
Under Notholithocarpus densiflorus bark
Under Platanus bark
Under Quercus kelloggii bark
Under Populus bark
Quercus, Acer, and Conifer leaf litter
Pseudotsuga menziesii