[BikerBee]

I'm in Eugene Oregon where the hive beetle is not supposed to be... However we installed a new package on 4/11 using last year's brood frames and for the past couple of weeks I've been mashing 2 - 3 of these beetles when I lift the top cover to look at / fill the top feeder. I have not noticed any beetles running around the inside of the hive when I open it for inspection. I'm using a plastic bunt cake style feeder that sits on the inside cover.

Yesterday I found 2 of them on the landing board and had my camera with me. He's about 5ish maybe 6mm long and about 2 - 2.5mm wide.

I've been told it could be a sap beetle but the pics I've seen of sap beetles do not have the protruding "ears" behind their head like this one does and the coloring doesn't seem the same to me. But at the same time this one is "skinnier" than pics I've found of hive beetles. And the pics of hive beetles show more of a separation of the upper "shoulder" area and thorax. Sorry if my anatomy terms are not correct, I'm not a bugologist...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[cg3]

Not a SHB.

 

[CessnaGirl]

It's head looks like a SHB but it's body is rather long. Not sure.

Looked at it again, don't think it is. SHB are oval with a little head on the top and antennae like the beetle in your photo. Google for an image.

 

[cg3]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Small_hive_beetle.jpg

 

[dynemd]

I vote yes, small hive beetle. Especially if you found it in/on your hive. How many other little beetles have tufts on the ends of their antennae?

 

[BikerBee]

That's what has me confused. It has some characteristics of a hive beetle, like the head and the overall length, but it also does not look completely like a sap beetle either. I compared pics from wikipedia, other bee sites and pest control sites and can't find a direct match.

Thanks for the input. I wanted to get the advice of those in shb territory. I've only heard of a few isolated cases of shb in Oregon where they hitched a ride on packages shipped from shb areas.

I going to try and catch one or two and store them in alcohol then take them to the extension office.

Thanks again.

 

[BikerBee]

From what I've read sap beetles are attracted to overripe fruit, fermenting sugar, fruit and honey. I have not read that they are destructive to hives like the hive beetle. And sap beetles also have the tufts on the ends of their antennae. but the sap beetle's head makes a smooth transition to his shoulders, like a power lifter.

That's what is difficult it has characteristics of both and is missing characteristics of both...

 

[dynemd]

"How many other little beetles have tufts on the ends of their antennae?"
I stand corrected, sap beetle have tufts!

 

[justusflynns]

My eyesight isn't the greatest, so I can't really see much detail on your pic. That said, have you compared it to an image of a black carpet beetle?

http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/fabric/black_carpet_beetle.htm

 

[Teipsum]

here in california we have the SHB and those beetles you pictured. They are not the same thing. the SHB is much rounder. I am voting for a definite no on being a SHB. IMO.

 

[stavros]

Not round enough. In my opinion, not a SHB like the ones we have in Georgia.

 

[Lburou]

Not round enough. In my opinion, not a SHB like the ones we have in Georgia.

I agree. I think of a shb as a smallish, black, lady bug.

 

[arnoldhicks]

That is what it is

 

[BikerBee]

Looks like it is not a shb. I sent pics to a beetle expert. He said by looking at the pic it is not any variety of hive beetle he has seen. But he cannot identify what kind of beetle it is from the pic alone. Now it's more about curiosity than anything else. I'll try and catch a few to send up to Oregon State, let the Prof's, Grad's and assistants figure it out.

Thanks everyone!

To LeeBurrough; love your tag. When my boys and I worked on a project together, and they thought they knew better. i would give them a choice, they could do it the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is; learn from the mistakes of others. The hard way is; learn from your own mistakes and do it two or more times over. Funny how my new drywall got three coats of paint...

 

[cg3]

Sap beetle
http://bugguide.net/images/cache/IK...KNKSK10GQT0GQO0RKBK5KZSPQD0QK106Q2KLKA05Q.jpg

 

[treeWinder]

Not SHB

 

[Michael Bush]

> How many other little beetles have tufts on the ends of their antennae?

Many.