Amara aenea (DeGeer)

Jarrett, J. R. & Scudder, G. G E., 2001, Carabidae (Coleoptera) New To British Columbia, With One Species New To Canada, The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (3), pp. 378-384 : 378

Amara aenea (DeGeer)

BC: Kamloops, 1–4.VII.1954 (G.J. Spencer) [ UBC]; Kamloops, Opax Mtn .

50 ° 45 ̍ 43 ̎ N 120 ° 27 ̍ 19 ̎ W, 1,300m, 35% tree removal, Individual Tree

Selection (with reserves), pitfall trap, 3. VI.97– 17.VI.1997 ( MOF Kam­

loops) [ UBC]; Oliver, IRI ‘Watertower’, 49 ° 10 ̍ N 119 ° 31 ̍ W, Purshia as­

soc., AN, BGxh1, pitfall trap U2–4, 10.IV–3.V.1995 (G.G.E. Scudder)

[ UBC]; Osoyoos, 10.IV.1994 (G.G.E. Scudder) [ UBC]; Osoyoos, Haynes

Ecol. Res., rose pitfall, 26.VIII–23.IX.1989 (S.G. Cannings) [ UBC] ;

Smithers, 15.VI.1951 (G.J. Spencer) [UBC]. Introduced from Europe (in Eurasia east to west Siberia), A. aenea is widely distributed in the eastern half of North America, but west of the 100 ° meridian is reported only from AZ, CA, CO, ID, OR and WA (Bousquet and Larochelle 1993). There appears to be a gap in the distribution in the prairies, with no records previously in western Canada. Amara aenea is one of the species regarded by Lindroth (1957) as probably having been unintentionally introduced into eastern North America in ballast­traffic. Since there is a gap in the range in North America, a separate accidental introduction on the west coast is suggested. This may also have been in ballast, but compared to the introduction on the Atlantic coast, this may have been a later arrival, related to the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 ( Lindroth 1957; Scudder 1958). Amara aenea is a markedly xerophilous and heliophilous species found on dry, open grassland, usually on sandy soil ( Lindroth 1992). It is often found on lawns in parks and gardens (Lindroth 1968). Adults are omnivorous, while larvae are mainly carnivorous ( Lindroth 1992). Its wings are fully developed, with several flight observations from Europe. This species is a spring breeder that hibernates in the adult stage.