Cyclotrachelus sodalis - Unknown Michigan beetle

[leon]

This is an image I borrowed depicting the beetle I caught in a bottle funnel trap last night. It was caught here in Grand Rapids, using beef liver as bait. It was listed on a site without specific ID, but simply saying it's a ground beetle. I need the genus and species. Please help.

[trehopr1]

Leon, at the Carnegie Museum there is a very well known coleopterist named Bob Davidson who I believe is the collection manager. He is also a specialist on the Carabidae family. You can look up that web site and see if you can contact him. He will tell you how and where to post your photo and I'm sure he will know what genus and species you are looking at. I'm certain it's common as I have seen it before myself.
The Carabidae family is one of the five or six largest families of beetles with identified species running between 25 to 30 thousand species depending on which book you consult. A species level I.D. really requires a specialist except on the largest,most prominent,unique,or commonly encountered species. Good luck.

[cabintom]

I'll add that often with insects there are some very similar species that look nearly identical, but are in fact different. I'm not a coleopertist, so I don't know if that's the case with what you've collected... however, if you're looking for an exact ID, it's probably best to post a picture of the specimen itself, rather than borrowing an image of another specimen.

At any rate, congrats at having caught something in your pitfall trap!

[wollastoni]

Tom is right, be careful with Carabidae.
Tons of very close species.

[leon]

My problem is that I don't have a camera with a lens that will take a picture of an object that small.
Nevertheless, I'll check on the Carnegie Museum and see if I can contact Bob Davidson. In all probability there'll be a way to differentiate the several look-alikes.
Thanks, guys.....

[leon]

I got an answer from the Carnegie Museum. The coleoptera expert there was very helpful, and I recommend all who need id's go to their site.
This black mystery is a fairly common ground beetle, Cyclotrachelus sodalis. 

[trehopr1]

Happy to hear Leon that you were successful in your endeavor to find out what species of black Carabid you had ! Best Regards, Trehopr1.