Dead Cat(ops) among the pigeons

Almost a year after everyone else, I finally got round to watching the much talked about Bros reunion documentary. It's well worth 87 minutes of your life if you haven't seen it yet and contains some absolutely stone-cold classic spinal tap-esque quotes. Anyway, the title of this post was inspired by the band and a particular beetle genus that I occasional encounter and frequently scratch my head at.

The genus Catops. 

These are small beetles in the family Leiodidae. They are associated with death and decay and can be found on carrion, rotting fungi and in mammal nests. One particular species is especially associated with mole nests. 

They're not (in my experience) an easy group to get to species. And nigh on impossible if it's a female. A dissected male you gives you a much better chance for a specific record. But even then things can be tricky.

This male flew into the window at work whilst I was on the phone. An impressive bit of one handed potting ensued to secure the beetle. Luckily it was a male and so I thought an ID was imminent but it's not quite that simple. Many of the aedeagi look terrifyingly similar

The appropriate page from Duff vol 1.

It 's all in the subtle shaping So faced with the following it becomes a bit tricky to take further.

 

I think it is Catops tristis but I really need to line it up against some known specimens to be sure. 

So it was with much moaning and gnashing of teeth that I potted a Catops on a recent tussocking outing. Once under the microscope a quick look at the aedaegus was all that was needed to realise I had something new for me. The parameres (bits at side) were quite robust and had little hooks on the end (ouch!). 

This time a quick look at the book was all that was needed to get this one to species. Catops morio.

The aedaegus is really distinctive for a Catops. Not something I thought I'd say...
A new beetle for me and another record to submit.