Phil Bendle Collection:Beetle (Stinking Ground beetle) Plocamostethus planiusculus) Plocamostethus planiusculus

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:     Arthropoda
Class:        Insecta
Order:       Coleoptera
Suborder:   Adephaga
Family:      Carabidae
Genus:      Plocamostethus
Species:    P. planiusculus
Binominal name: Plocamostethus planiusculus
Common name: Stinking Ground beetle

Plocamostethus planiusculus is one of two species in the genus of Plocamostethus. The other is Plocamostethus scribae and both are ground beetles only found in New Zealand.
They are two 2 subspecies Plocamostethus planiusculus ssp. latus found at Pokororo, near Mount Arthur, Nelson Province and Plocamostethus planiusculus ssp. durvillei found on D'Urville Island.
Plocamostethus planiusculus is a  large predatory ground beetle (25—29 mm) common in the forests of the lower half of the North Island and in the forests of north-west Nelson and Marlborough Sounds. It has been reported locally in New Plymouth and the Mt Egmont/ Taranaki Reserve. Its mandibles are unusually prominent and are as long as the head and are curved near the tips and sharply pointed. The eyes small but convex.

For more details visit: http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_69/rsnz_69_04_004470.html 

Eggs of Plocamostethus planiusculus

   

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
[http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/image_files/0000/0006/6354/Plocamostethus_planiusculus__black_ground_beetle-002.JPG
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