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

Trechus schwarzi saludae Barr, 1979 - 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 schwarzi 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, caliginis, 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: The type locality for this subspecies is "one mile (1.6km) east of Melrose, from small, wet ravines on the south side of the gorge of the North Pacolet River, elevation 1300 feet (350 m), Polk County" (Barr, 1979)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: BugGuide, Wikipedia, GBIF   iNaturalistTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Barr (1979)                                                              
Comments: 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]: Holotype male is 3.7 mm in length (Barr, 1979)
Structural Features: Differs from the other subspecies of schwarzi in various proportions, including features of the aedeagus (Barr, 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 subspecies is unique among North Carolina species of Trechus in occurring at a much lower elevation -- only 1,300' (Barr, 1979). Barr notes, however, that the beetles were found under mosses and liverworts on rocks at the edge of spring-fed brooks, in a cool, wet microclimate that resembles that more typical of the genus. In this regard, they resemble disjunct populations of Red-backed Salmanders, Catawba Rhododendrons, and other montane species restricted to steep, north-facing slopes even farther to the east in the Piedmont.
See also Habitat Account for General Montane Mesic 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: [GNRTNR] [SHS1]
State Protection:
Comments: With only a single, presumably relict population located at a low elevation, this subspecies is likely to be highly vulnerable to the warming and drying impacts of climate change. The last record of its existence was that made by Barr in 1969.