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Photo#32443
Sunday WaterHauler - Megetra vittata

Sunday WaterHauler - Megetra vittata
San Juan County, New Mexico, USA
September 16, 2005
Size: (a guess) -- approx 3/4"
Help anyone?? We saw this fella on a Sunday afternoon. Walking across the ground. Once we saw the first one, realized there were several more around, solitary, and every one of them on their way somewhere! Thought maybe it was a transition phase ... until we saw a half-sized one too. They appear to eat the green leaves of the plant in the picture -- though I am not 100% sure of that. They move pretty fast -- faster than my camera, hehe -- but the abdomen is heavy - it practically drags along. Oh, and the wings -- I'm not sure they are real -- at first I thought they were a decoy, fused to the body, but ... well, I just have no idea! :) The photo does show the glossiness of the wings and body. I asked a coworker if she recognized this guy, and she said she knows them as "water-hauler" in Navajo. She doesn't think they fly either. Maybe that helps? By the way, I love this site!! I just found it -- and wow!!

Images of this individual: tag all
Sunday WaterHauler - Megetra vittata Sunday WaterHauler - Megetra vittata

Moved
Moved from Megetra.

Man!
What a striking beetle!

I used to live in Otero County NM and recall the bright metalic blue meloids with the puffed-out wingcovers that lived at the Tularosa dump. That was a loooong time ago. Your beetles make me hanker to go back.

 
If I ever get to Tularosa, I
If I ever get to Tularosa, I must visit the dump! :) Would love to see another type of this beetle close up.

 
Pix
Here's a local flightless blister beetle that's no doubt related to the Tularosa dump variety:

Also, I did a little research on the Tularosa dump beetles. They are of the genus Cysteodemus. Go to
http://www.meloidae.com/meloidae/0166.html
for a nice image of a California species on an East-European Web site (!!)

 
Thanks! So much variety!
Your local beetle resembles closely this one - even to the leathery looking wings and oily appearance. Nice close-up! I went to your pics on the Meloe guide page too -- what a beautiful blue shade that is. These are just fascinating critters. In looking at the mating photo on this page -- that looks totally unlike what my bugs were doing! (I wonder if I misinterpreted?!) Hope to get those other photos posted too; guess I'll find out soon enough. Hehe. Thanks for sharing.