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Photo#143635
Water Carrier - Megetra vittata - female

Water Carrier - Megetra vittata - Female
Chinle, Apache County, Arizona, USA
September 6, 2007
Size: >2 CM
A close up of her head. I have more shots, if anyone is interested. I put her in a dishpan for the photographs, then released her.

Images of this individual: tag all
Water Carrier - Megetra vittata - female Water Carrier - Megetra vittata - female

Moved
Moved from Megetra.

Probably
Megetra vittata, with the reticulated pattern on the elytra.
Location also works, there are records from Canyon de Chelly, basically in your neighborhood.
I'll give you an update shortly - will be looking at specimens tomorrow at UC Riverside, CA.
Have you examined this specimen for gender, since you consider it a female?

 
Megetra vittata
Thanks, Hartmut. Actually, I'm practically IN the canyon, living about a mile from the visitor center, and hike it frequently. It's been about a year since I shot that photo, and they're all over the place again. This seems to be their time of year. But in answer to your question, no, I haven't examined any recently, for gender or otherwise. Thanks for motivating me to get out and try to catch a few more shots. Oddly, I almost always see them individually, not as pairs, which would probably simplify sexing them.

 
Great, Micki,
try to get some more good photos. Size estimates, plant species they're found on, though not essential, add interesting information.

There's a post from Kayenta, the same species, on which I've pointed to another character also seen in your nice close-up photo.

Moved
Moved from Megetra.

Water Carrier
This is a blister beetle, family Meloidae

she's beautiful
How do you determine the gender?

 
Gender
To tell the truth, I'm no longer sure it's a "she". I found this
and just assumed due to its size that I had found the female. Now I'm not so sure! If mine is a male, the females must be truly ponderous. This example may not even be the same species, as there seem to be at least two, and maybe three species in this genus.

I'm talking to my students and colleagues today (I teach on the Navajo Reservation) and plan to get back with whatever information I find out. But the Navajo name for it does literally mean "The one that carries a pot about."

I found it amusing that I "caught" it on the NFL opening day, and another name for this beetle is the "Football Player," probably due to its elytra appearing as shoulder pads. If so, the red and black colors clearly indicate its an Arizona Cardinals fan! (I can't stretch that black and red into the blue and orange of my Broncos!)

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