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 rivulis Dajoz, 2005 - 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 rivulis belongs to subgenus Microtrechus and was included in the Vandykei Species Group by Donabauer (2009). In addition to rivulis, Bosquet (2012) includes 10 other species in this group, one of which occur the mountains of southwest Virginia and the rest in the North Carolina mountains or on the ridges forming the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Donabauer (2009) indicated that rivulus could be a synonym of barberi.
Species Status: The type locality is Buck Creek in the Nantahala National Forest, Clay County (Dajoz, cited in Bosquet, 2012)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: BugGuide, Wikipedia, GBIF   iNaturalistTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Dajoz (2005; in French)                                                              
Comments: Members of this genus show too little variation in pattern for standard photographs to be used to identify particular species.
Structural Features: As a member of subgenus Microtrechus, only the first segment of front tarsus is enlarged in males. This species is distinguished from other members of its species group morphometrically and by features of the aedeagus (Dajoz, 2005).
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: Dajoz (2005) collected the type series of this species in a stand of hardwood forest in the Buck Creek watershed in eastern Clay County. This site is best known for its possession of a serpentine barrens (which Dajoz also sampled), but the beetles were collected in a very humid, shaded station located close to Buck Creek. Specimens were collected by sifting leaf litter or searching moss mats or under stones. The elevation of this site is below 4,000' but some of the adjoining ridges - which were apparently not sampled -- are close to 5,000'. Currently, we are placing this species in the General Montane Mesic Hardwood Forests habitat.
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: [GNR] [S1]
State Protection:
Comments: As with most other of our species of Trechus, this species appears to be endemic to a very small area and is likely to be of significant conservation concern.