Tetragonoderus pallidus
This record describes Tetragonoderus pallidus (species). Recorded family: Carabidae. Recorded order: Coleoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Tetragonoderus pallidus is a species of beetle in the family Carabidae. It was described by G.Horn in 1868.
Wikipedia reference for Tetragonoderus pallidus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragonoderus pallidus.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Coleoptera (Beetles)
- Suborder
- Adephaga
- Family
- Carabidae (Ground Beetles)
- Subfamily
- Harpalinae
- Tribe
- Cyclosomini
- Genus
- Tetragonoderus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
A sand-dwelling species that can be taken on dunes at night or sifting (Kip Will, pers.comm.)
Geographic Range
Sonoran Desert (AZ-CA, nw.Mex.) , GBIF indicates a much wider sw.US distribution: Map
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Tetragonoderus pallidus G. Horn 1869
About Primitive Winged Insects: the wider group
Order-level background for Coleoptera, the group containing Tetragonoderus pallidus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Coleoptera is the largest order of insects with over 400,000 described species, representing ~25% of all known animal species and ~40% of all insects. In the U.S. alone, nearly 30,000 beetle species have been identified.
Ecological role of the group
Beetles are prominent decomposers, especially in forests, breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients. As predators, they reduce populations of pest insects. Many species are also important pollinators of flowering plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Beetles have major economic significance: leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and weevils (Curculionoidea) are among the most destructive agricultural pests globally, costing billions annually, while predatory species like ladybugs provide natural pest control.
Recorded sources for this group: Britannica, Smithsonian, NCSU Entomology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Tetragonoderus pallidus (9)
Photo credits: (c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey | (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon | (c) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) | (c) Vahe Martirosyan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Vahe Martirosyan | Contributed by v belov; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn