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

Trechus mitchellensis Barr, 1962 - 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 mitchellensis 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 hydropicus, schwarzi, caligisnis, 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: The type locality is Celo Mountain (Celo Knob?), Yancey County (Barr,1962).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: BugGuide, Wikipedia, GBIF   iNaturalistTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Barr (1962, 1979)                                                              
Comments: "Dark piceous black, robust and subconvex, shining" (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]: 3.6-4.2 mm, mean 3.7 (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: "All localities are at elevations between 4800 and 6500 feet". "The usual microhabitat is under moss carpets in spruce-fir forest" (Barr, 1979)
See also Habitat Account for Spruce-Fir Forests
Diet: Predatory on small insects and other invertebrates
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Adult Phenology: Not enough information exists for this species to determine its phenology
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [SR]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GH S1
State Protection:
Comments: This species is endemic to the Black Mountains of North Carolina and is considered globally historic (or possibly extinct) by NatureServe. No records apparently have been made since Barr last reported it in 1960 (see Barr, 1962; Bosquet, 2012).