Agathidium vaderi explained

Agathidium vaderi is a species of round fungus beetle in the family Leiodidae. It is found in North America. The beetle was named after the fictional character Darth Vader by Cornell University entomologists due to its shiny helmetlike head that resembles that of the Star Wars villain.^{[1] [2]}

Range

Agathidium vaderi has been observed in the mountains of western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northern Georgia, including the Great Smoky Mountains.^[3]

Further reading

• Slime-mold beetles of the genus Agathidium Panzer in North and Central America, Part II. Coleoptera: Leiodidae. 2005. Miller . Kelly B.. Wheeler . Quentin D.. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2005. 291. 1–95. 10.1206/0003-0090(2005)291<0001:SBOTGA>2.0.CO;2. 2246/459. 85624633. free.
• Slime-mold beetles of the genus Agathidium Panzer in North and Central America, Part I. Coleoptera: Leiodidae. 2005. Wheeler . Quentin D.. Miller . Kelly B.. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2005. 290. 1–95. 10.1206/0003-0090(2005)290<0001:SBOTGA>2.0.CO;2. 2246/458. 198159576. free.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Slime-mold beetles named for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld -- but strictly in homage. 2021-10-11. Cornell Chronicle. en.
2. News: Duntley . Sonja Meyer . ESF president's favorite insect, the Darth Vader beetle: CNY Science . February 7, 2021 . . March 5, 2014.
3. Slime-mold beetles of the genus Agathidium Panzer in North and Central America, Part II. Coleoptera: Leiodidae. 2005. Miller . Kelly B.. Wheeler . Quentin D.. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2005. 291. 87–88. 10.1206/0003-0090(2005)291<0001:SBOTGA>2.0.CO;2. 2246/459. 85624633. free.