Scaphinotus ridingsii
(Bland, 1863)
Ridings' snail-eating beetle
Species Guides
1Scaphinotus ridingsii is a of ground beetle in the Carabidae, classified within the tribe Cychrini (snail-eating beetles). The species was originally described as Cychrus ridingsii by Bland in 1863 and later transferred to Scaphinotus. It is known from North America, with two recognized : S. r. ridingsii in Virginia and S. r. monongahelae in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. As a member of the Cychrini tribe, it is presumed to be a specialized of land snails, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Scaphinotus ridingsii: /skæfɪˈnoʊtəs raɪˈdɪŋzi.aɪ/
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Distribution
North America. The nominate Scaphinotus ridingsii ridingsii occurs in Virginia, while the subspecies S. r. monongahelae is found in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Host Associations
- land snails - preyInferred from tribe membership in Cychrini (snail-eating beetles); specific prey records for this are not documented
Similar Taxa
- Scaphinotus monongahelaeFormerly treated as a full , now recognized as S. r. monongahelae; distinguished by geographic distribution (Pennsylvania/West Virginia vs. Virginia)
- Other Scaphinotus speciesMembers of this share the specialized snail-eating habit and similar elongated body form; precise identification requires examination of genitalic and other morphological characters
More Details
Subspecies
Two are recognized: Scaphinotus ridingsii ridingsii (Bland, 1863) from Virginia, and Scaphinotus ridingsii monongahelae Leng, 1917 from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The latter was originally described as a full (Scaphinotus monongahelae) but has been synonymized as a subspecies.
Taxonomic history
Originally described in the Cychrus by Bland (1863), this was later transferred to Scaphinotus. The genus Scaphinotus is classified in the tribe Cychrini, a group of ground beetles specialized for feeding on land snails.