Prairie-beetle
Guides
Acmaeodera texana
Texas jewel beetle
Acmaeodera texana is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by LeConte in 1860. It occurs in North America, with records from the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is considered uncommon in many parts of its range, including Missouri where it has been recorded only sporadically. Adults have been observed visiting flowers of Liatris hirsuta and other herbaceous plants in xeric prairie habitats.
Acmaeoderoides distinctus
Acmaeoderoides distinctus is a small jewel beetle (family Buprestidae) described by Gayle H. Nelson in 1968. It belongs to the genus Acmaeoderoides, a group of North American buprestids characterized by their compact body form and association with woody vegetation. The species occurs in shortgrass prairie habitats in the western Great Plains. Like other members of its family, it likely develops in dead or dying wood, though specific host records remain undocumented. The genus is taxonomically significant as one of the more derived lineages within the Acmaeoderini.
Eleodes novoverrucula
Eleodes novoverrucula is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, first described by Boddy in 1957. The genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles, is characterized by defensive behaviors including the distinctive "head stand" posture when disturbed. This species belongs to a large genus of primarily North American desert and prairie beetles. Specific morphological and behavioral details for E. novoverrucula remain poorly documented in published literature.