Temnoscheila chlorodia Green Ostomid Beetle

Описание: Temnoscheila chlorodia, a Green Ostomid beetle in the family Trogossitidae is a predator of many bark beetle species in western coniferous forests, including such economically important species as (Dendroctonus brevicomis) which can cause mortality of even healthy specimens of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) under certain conditions. T. chlorodia larvae develop within the inner bark and feed on bark beetle brood. The adults, like my specimen here, are also highly predaceous and may be important in the regulation of bark beetle populations at endemic levels (Furniss and Carolin 1977). Two things I learned in my evening research after observing this specimen for the afternoon of February 28, 2025: They are somewhat long-lived. While I could not find data on this exact species, I did find that another species (Temnoscheila virescens) were found to have adult longevity at a mean of 232 days with some having the recorded maximum of 667 days. These beetles have been studied in part from attempts to captive rear specimens for use in biocontrol efforts against various species of bark beetles with economic significance. Another thing I learned was that they are sensitive to the application of Biochar. Direct contact with biochar application caused a significant reduction in survival of adult T. chlorodia. Given that I found my adult beetle in the dry sand of our barn floor, struggling to move, and that when I placed it on a damp log of Alder, it appeared to “drink” or uptake water by using its jaws to “wring” the wood pulp like you would wring out a wet towel, I concluded that perhaps the biochar is too desiccating, and these beetles need moist environments for longevity? I would say that anyone planning to apply Biochar to consider timing so as not to coincide with Spring emergence of the adults. The only other specimen I have seen on San Juan Island was on May 5, 2013 at English Camp/Young Hill Trail below some of the large Garry Oaks on the Western side. Side note: Weirdly, I have also seen the genus spelled Temnochila, so I am not sure if that's a typo in some of these research papers or if there is an alternate spelling.

Cook, Stephen P. , Valmir Rodriguies de Andrade Neto. 2018. Laboratory Evaluation of the Direct Impact of Biochar on Adult Survival of Four Forest Insect Species," Northwest Science, 92(1), 1-8. https://bioone.org/journals/Northwest...

Kolibáč J. Trogossitidae: A review of the beetle family, with a catalogue and keys. Zookeys. 2013 Dec 31;(366):1-194. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.366.6172. PMID: 24453569; PMCID: PMC3890666. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...

Lawson, S.A. and Morgan, F.D. (1992), Rearing of two predators, Thanasimus dubius and Temnochila virescens, for the biological control of Ips grandicollis in Australia. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 65: 225-233. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.1...