Cercyon erraticus
Smetana, 1978
Cercyon erraticus is a of water scavenger beetle in the Hydrophilidae, first described by Smetana in 1978. The species is distributed across northern North America, with records from Canada (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec) and the United States (Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin). As a member of the Cercyon, it belongs to a group of small beetles commonly associated with moist or aquatic environments.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cercyon erraticus: //sɛrˈsiː.ɒn ɛˈrætɪkəs//
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Distribution
Canada: British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec. United States: Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin.
More Details
Taxonomic note
The provided context sources primarily discuss Culex erraticus, a mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae), which is unrelated to Cercyon erraticus (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). These are homonyms—different species sharing the same specific epithet but belonging to entirely different insect orders. The mosquito Culex erraticus is known to overwinter in gopher tortoise burrows in Florida and has been implicated as a potential of West Nile virus and virus. The Cercyon erraticus has no known association with these ecological contexts.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- Rising from the Ashes--Some Day | Bug Squad
- Culex erraticus mosquito - Entomology Today
- Culex erraticus Archives - Entomology Today
- Some Florida Mosquitoes Spend the Winter in Tortoise Burrows
- gopher tortoise - Entomology Today
- collecting mosquitoes from a gopher tortoise burrow - Entomology Today