> a small black beetle that ranges from 1/8" to 3/8"
> in length.  It is black with a distinctive brown band
> (about 1/3 the length) across the mid section.

Hi Ron,

I noticed this beetle too, first saw it two or three years ago and panicked
initially that perhaps it was the dreaded SHB, but the band around the
middle wasn't correct.  It even has the club-like antennae as does SHB.  I
showed the beetle around to a few people, one of whom identified it as a
"Carrion Beetle".  Now, I do not know my beetles, but the name (Carrion
Beetle) seemed appropriate to the conditions where I most often observed it.
I usually find the beetle amongst grungy debris on bottom boards or in
frames from a dead out hive.  I have never seen the beetle in a healthy
hive, rather, in equipment that has come off a hive and perhaps stored in
conditions to which I would prefer deny.

So, in your search for identification look towards "Carrion Beetle" (which
was a beetle theretofore unheard of to me).  If you find it, I too would
like to know for sure what it is.

Cheers,
Aaron