beetle - Megetra punctata

Moved

Moved from Megetra.

… Hartmut Wisch, 11 September, 2008 - 5:33pm

Very nice photos, Arlene!

Compare the pitting on the short elytra of your beetle with that from Chinle, AZ (see thumb below). Your beetle's elytra are basically smooth except for the punctate pitting, and they're rounded where they deflex down the side.
In contrast, the Chinle beetle has a more coarsely reticulate pattern on the elytra, and there's a well-defined edge where they deflex to the side. That one should turn out to be M. vittata, and yours M. punctata. Distribution also works, and the two species are allopatric.
I'll give you an update in a couple of days. Will look at specimens of the three species tomorrow.
Yes, its punctata by the characters mentioned above, location, and comparison this morning with specimens in the UC Riverside collection.

… Hartmut Wisch, 11 September, 2008 - 12:09am

Thank, Hartmut..........

.....for the good explanation of the species differences.

… Arlene Ripley, 17 September, 2008 - 7:56am

Please see

Blister Beetle Megetra

-and-

http://bugguide.net/node/view/32566/bgimage

… Ron M., 24 August, 2008 - 1:13pm

Thanks!

I was trying to make it a carrion beetle but it just didn't fit the mold. I'm glad I didn't touch one.

… Arlene Ripley, 24 August, 2008 - 1:42pm

Glad to help :)

Very nice pictures by the way!

-EDITED-

Sorry about the bad spelling but [excuse mode]I was on my Treo[/excuse mode]. I fixed it...

… Ron M., 24 August, 2008 - 1:47pm