Asaphidion curtum

(Heyden, 1870)

Asaphidion curtum is a small ground beetle in the Carabidae. It belongs to the flavipes group, which includes A. flavipes and A. stierlini. The has a transcontinental distribution spanning North America, Europe, and Africa. Three are recognized: A. c. curtum, A. c. delatorrei, and A. c. maroccanum.

Asaphidion curtum, Holt by Dee, North Wales, May 2018 by janetgraham84new. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Asaphidion curtum: //ˌæsəˈfɪdiən ˈkɜːrtəm//

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Identification

External identification criteria are unreliable due to morphological inconsistency. Genital —specifically spermathecae and copulatory pieces—provides the only reliable and immediate identification method. Distinguished from A. stierlini by genital characters; A. stierlini alone among the flavipes group can be identified by external criteria.

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Distribution

North America, Europe, and Africa. Specific records from USA, Algeria, Belgium, Canary Islands, and Denmark. In Europe, documented from the Rhône-Alpes region and beyond, where it cohabits with A. flavipes and A. stierlini at multiple locations.

Human Relevance

Occasionally mistaken for tiger beetles by collectors due to superficial resemblance; mentioned alongside Elaphrus and Colliuris as that confuse collectors seeking tiger beetles.

Similar Taxa

  • Asaphidion flavipesMember of same flavipes group; co-occurs in Rhône-Alpes and beyond; external unreliable for separation, requiring genital examination
  • Asaphidion stierliniMember of same flavipes group; co-occurs in Rhône-Alpes; only in group with reliable external identification criteria, distinguished from A. curtum by genital
  • ElaphrusBoth confused with tiger beetles by collectors due to superficial resemblance
  • ColliurisBoth confused with tiger beetles by collectors due to superficial resemblance

More Details

Subspecies

Three recognized: Asaphidion curtum curtum (Heyden, 1870), Asaphidion curtum delatorrei Uyttenboogaart, 1928, and Asaphidion curtum maroccanum Antoine, 1955.

Taxonomic history

Originally described as Tachypus curtus by Heyden in 1870; later transferred to Asaphidion.

Sources and further reading