Platypsyllus castoris (Coleoptera: Leiodidae)
Beaver Parasite Beetle
Highway 160, three miles north of the Antioch Bridge, on the East Bank of the Sacramento River, Sacramento County, California
January 30, 2006

2mm. Ventral view. Beetle collected by Natalia Belfiore on June 30, 1998, from an otter killed by an automobile. Identified by Steve Heydon; ID confirmed by Stewart Peck. Stored in Hoyers medium between 1998 and 2006 (when this photo was taken). A note regarding this specimen was published in The Coleopterists Bulletin, 60(4):312–313, 2006. This species had not previously been described as occurring on otters.