Beetles of North Carolina
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Scientific Name: Common Name:
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View Carabidae Members:
Members of Trechus:
6 NC Records

Trechus hydropicus beutenmuelleri Jeannel, 1931 - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Family: Carabidae Subfamily: Trechinae                                                             
Comments: One of 82 species in this genus that have been recorded in North America north of Mexico, 42 of which occur in North Carolina (Bosquet, 2012). Trechus hyrdopicus belongs to subgenus Trechus and is included in the Hydropicus Species Group by Barr (1979, 1985). Other members of this group that occur in North Carolina are Trechus caliginis, schwarzi, mitchellensis, carolinae, and roanicus; Trechus cumberlandus is the only other member of this group and is restricted to the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Species Status: One of four subspecies of T. hydropicus, only two of which have been recorded in North Carolina. The type locality of this subspecies is Mt. Mitchell (Barr, 1962)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: BugGuide, Wikipedia, GBIF   iNaturalistTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Barr (1962, 1979)                                                              
Comments: Body and elytra dark, shining piceous; legs paler piceous (Barr, 1962). Generally, members of this genus show too little variation in pattern for standard photographs to be used to identify particular species.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 2.7-4.4 mm (Barr, 1962)
Structural Features: As a member of subgenus Trechus, the first and second segments of front tarsus are both enlarged in males. This species is distinguished from other members of its species group morphometrically and by features of the aedeagus (Barr, 1962, 1979).
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥
 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) <
 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is associated with high elevation forests but is probably not restricted to Spruce-fir Forests.
See also Habitat Account for General High Elevation Forests
Diet: Predatory on small insects and other invertebrates
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency: Barr (1979) describes this species as abundant on the higher elevations of the Black and Craggy Mountains and northward to the Bald Mountains.
Adult Phenology: Not enough information exists for this species to determine its phenology
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNRTNR] [SHS3]
State Protection:
Comments: This subspecies occupies a fairly broad area of the higher mountains of North Carolina and was described as abundant in 1979 by Barr (1979). However, as a habitat specialist with a limited global range, it may be vulnerable to the effects of global warming and drying as well as the degradation of high elevation forests from a variety of causes. Its populations, along with other members of these habitats in North Carolina, need to be monitored to see what trends in their populations may be occurring.