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 snowbirdensis Donabauer, 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 snowbirdensis belongs to subgenus Microtrechus and is included in the Nebulosus Species Group by Donabauer (2005b). In addition to snowbirdensis, 21 other species are included in this group (Bosquet, 2010), 18 of which occur in North Carolina and the rest in Tennessee.
Species Status: The type locality is Joanna Bald in the Snowbird Mountains of North Carolina (Donabauer, 2005b)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: BugGuide, Wikipedia, GBIF   iNaturalistTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Donabauer (2005b)                                                              
Comments: "Body entirely reddish piceous, disk of pronotum sometimes slightly darker, in average paler than in T. nantahalaé, elytra shiny with slight bluish lustre. Legs and antenna entirely pale, not contrasting much with the body." (Donabauer, 2005b). Members of this genus generally show too little variation in pattern for standard photographs to be used to identify particular species.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 3.3-3.9 mm (Donabauer, 2005b)
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 (Donabauer, 2005b).
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: "The specimens were sifted from wet leaf litter in two locations together with the very similar T. luculentus joannabaldensis ssp.n. around a spring on the southern slope directly beside the forest street and in a muddy seep on the northern slope" (Donabauer, 2005b). The summit of Joanna Bald is about 4,720' and is covered with hardwood forest (from Google Earth)
See also Habitat Account for General High Elevation Forests
Diet: Predatory on small insects and other invertebrates
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency: "Not rare" (Donabauer, 2005b)
Adult Phenology:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [SR]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] [S1]
State Protection:
Comments: This species is known from a single, high elevation site, where it is probably highly vulnerable to the warming and drying impacts of climate change.