''Omophron americanum'', the American round sand beetle, is a species of

ground beetle Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan family (biology), family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it i ...

in the family Carabidae. It is found in, as well as native to, North America, ranging across most of the United States and Canada, except British Columbia. ''Omophron americanum'' has a broad and rather flat shape, with a length between 5.1 and 7.0 mm. Reddish-yellow with dark markings, its colour pattern is variable on its upper surface, with a darker, brown underside. It has a striated elytron, a V-shaped pale area on the

frons Insect morphology is the study and description of the physical form of insects. The terminology used to describe insects is similar to that used for other arthropods due to their shared evolutionary history. Three physical features separate insec ...

, a punctuated metasternum, and two setae on the mesocoxa. Its habitat is the immediate vicinity of usually standing waters, on bare or sparsely vegetated sandy or clay substrates. It exists in altitudes between 260 and 2,200 m. Copulation occurs between April and May. The female is typically gravid (pregnant) between May and June. ''Omophron americanum'' moults and becomes

teneral Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticle in many invertebrates of the clade Ecdysozoa. Since the cuticle of these animals typically forms a largely inelastic exoskeleton, it is shed during growth and a new, larger covering is formed. The remna ...

between July and September. It overwinters in the adult stage. These beetles are gregarious. They also

stridulate Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fish, snakes and spiders. The mech ...

References

Further reading