Paederus grandis

Austin, 1877

grandis is a in the , first described by Austin in 1877. The was previously known as Paederus lecontei until and Ray (2010) synonymized the two names under the older epithet grandis. It is recorded from the southwestern United States (Arizona, California) and Mexico. Like other members of the Paederus, it likely possesses defensive chemistry, though specific studies on this species are lacking.

Paederus grandis by (c) Andrew Meeds, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Meeds. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Paederus grandis: //ˈpaɪdərəs ˈɡrændɪs//

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Identification

P. grandis can be distinguished from the similar P. littoralis by its larger size, as indicated by its specific epithet. Reliable separation from other requires examination of detailed morphological characters. The species was previously confused with P. lecontei, now recognized as a junior synonym.

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Distribution

Southwestern United States (Arizona, California) and Mexico. A single record from Colorado appears to be erroneous.

Human Relevance

Members of the are known for producing , a compound that causes dermatitis and blistering when contacts human skin. This defensive chemistry has been exploited historically; P. fuscipes and possibly other Paederus were reportedly used in ancient warfare by stuffing pots with beetles and throwing them at enemies. While this specific historical use is documented for P. fuscipes, the chemical defense is genus-wide and P. grandis likely shares this trait.

Similar Taxa

Paederus littoralisSimilar in general form but smaller in size; P. grandis is notably larger
Paederus leconteiPreviously considered a separate , now synonymized under P. grandis based on examination by and Ray (2010)

More Details

Nomenclatural history

The synonymy of P. lecontei under P. grandis was established by and Ray (2010) as part of their nomenclatural revision of North Phymatodes. However, this was later corrected—the synonymy actually involved lecontei being synonymized under Paederus grandis, not a . The of P. grandis (Austin, 1877) takes priority over P. lecontei.