One of the things I’m looking into during my stay here at the frost is the morphological differences in mouth part structure of Australian genera of Evaniidae. The two genera that occur in Oz, Acanthinevania and Szepligetella, have classically been separated by head shape, labium shape, and morphology of the 3rd segment of the labial palp; however, some recent genetic work has presented these genera in a phylogenetic tree that does not show each as a clearly defined group, but as a hodge-podge of groups containing both genera. Additionally, from my own limited personal observation, head shape does not seem to coincide well with the other two typically used characters.
I have, at this point, separated out a number of morphospecies of each genera based on current keys and intend to begin popping heads off and dissecting out mouth parts starting this week for a better look into this little mystery. I must admit that I am quite “stoked” to have the opportunity to improve my dissection techniques.
While going through Australian material last week, I happened across this girl:
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/9179615564_f02a9a8f38.jpg)
She is very strange! Between the enormous head, tiny round abdomen, stubby little antennae, extremely boxlike body, short legs, and almost completely smooth prothorax, I’m not quite sure what to make of her. Perhaps a subterranean specialist or something?
I also took a little time and went through some of the unsorted coleoptera in the collection and did a bit of sorting. Here are a few of the more special things I found:
Crazy cerambycids are great!
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/9179644650_1c51bde82d.jpg)
I believe these are melyrids, but I’m not certain.
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2842/9179619046_84769d4f2b.jpg)
I had to do a double-take to find this guy’s head.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/9179644970_a5040fe740.jpg)
Not entirely sure what these three are, but they are fantastic.
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/9179632542_c15a1eaffa.jpg)
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/9177412151_aac352e43e.jpg)
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/9177405727_2d0e0039ed.jpg)
And two threatened stag beetles from opposite sides of the globe.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7300/9179644380_8b96b8b4e8.jpg)
Males of this species use their enormous mandibles to throw each other out of trees but, according to Darwin, the jaws are “not so strong as to produce pain to finger”. This species is now endangered due to deforestation and global climate change.
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/9179644250_cb7acb5ac4.jpg)
You’d be hard pressed to find one of these today as modern forestry measures such as snag clearing and log removal have driven this species’ populations down severely over the past few decades. Today, many of the remaining populations are classified as endangered and most of the northern European populations are presumed extinct.
As much as I like cerambycids and clerids, I must admit that Lucanus cervus is by far my favorite species of beetle!
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