beeetle mania : classification

[nugget]

Hello !

Im just constructing an identification key and i am stuck with two beetles of the same Order. They are both Coleopterans, one is a Christmas beetle and one is a Mealworm beetle. I have been staring at my drawings of them and i cannot for the life of me find a proper named characteristic that distinguishes the two. Does anybody have any ideas? i would love if some insight was granted to me oh and also does somebody know whether the part before the abdomen of an ant is called the petiole, or is it the part before the part before the abdomen, if that makes sense.

these keys are a nightmare to organize!!

Cheers

[Beetle]

Hm, Christmas beetle is fam. Scarabeidae and Mealworm beetle is fam. Tenebrionidae. The difference between these two are more than evident and if you get into work of making indetification key you should know that. I do not know what is the exact thing that differs them but i am sure that common insects or better beetle guides have these kind of informations.

I dunno about petiole exactly cause i am not much into Hymenopteras.

Try this site. http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

[nugget]

Thanks, yes i know they look different. i dont know how to describe it thats why im asking...

[nugget]

Thats a cool website though.... our specimens were old and had parts missing, this is a good place to kind of make sure i have a good image of it! thanks