Something I'd never seen before-- Arion rufus (Chocolate Arion) swapping spermatophores!
Vivid metallic green, but photographed much darker. Likely Altica ambiens.
With Psephenus from same site for comparison in 2nd and 3rd photos.
Collected at above date and photographed under scope in lab in 2014.
With Brie Olsen, Jared Schluterman, Keith Waters, and Tyler Williams.
Dissertation site. Included in "Hydrology-Biology Response Relationships in the Ozark Highlands" (University of Arkansas Department of Biological Sciences dissertation) and publications:
"The influence of drought on flow-ecology relationships in Ozark Highland streams" http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13089
"Flow alteration-ecology relationships in Ozark Highland streams: Consequences for fish, crayfish and macroinvertebrate assemblages" http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.383
With Psephenus from same site for comparison in 2nd and 3rd photos.
Collected at above date and photographed under scope in lab in 2014.
With Brie Olsen, Jared Schluterman, Keith Waters, and Tyler Williams.
Dissertation site. Included in "Hydrology-Biology Response Relationships in the Ozark Highlands" (University of Arkansas Department of Biological Sciences dissertation) and publications:
"The influence of drought on flow-ecology relationships in Ozark Highland streams" http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13089
"Flow alteration-ecology relationships in Ozark Highland streams: Consequences for fish, crayfish and macroinvertebrate assemblages" http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.383
This is definitely a tentative ID on my part considering that so little of the beetle is actually visible. :(
I am kicking myself for not getting better images, but when I stopped to photograph this very sticky patch of Columbian Black-tailed Deer scat, I wasn't even thinking that this was a beetle. I recall taking photos because I wanted a record of whatever weird thing (fruit pit? large seed?) I imagined the deer had consumed. It was only later when I was viewing the magnified version that I was fairly certain I could make out elytra and a pronotum.
Confirmation or correction of my suspicion as to species would be excellent. Thanks so much for any help!
In deer pellets. Found by the Lopez 4th grade.