My first Meloe - Meloe barbarus

Moved

… margarethe brummermann, 18 March, 2010 - 7:33pm

John Pinto: "I like it but can't be sure of the species. ...

"...If I had to guess I'd say Meloe vandykei Pinto & Selander - but its a female and would need a close look at features other than what I can see on the photo. I wonder if the locality was at a sandy site - typical for Meloe that venture from their mesic homes out to desertic areas."

… v belov, 8 March, 2010 - 1:34pm

I collected it

I can send it to John Pinto or take more photos. It's still alive.

… margarethe brummermann, 8 March, 2010 - 1:58pm

Yes, sandy

very close (5m) to a wash that comes from a little peak of the Tucson Mountains and that has been flowing somewhat during the last week...did she float down? That would explain that I haven't found any before - this one was right at our property fence. The little mountain peak is inaccessible because of a limestone quarry.

… margarethe brummermann, 8 March, 2010 - 1:54pm

John Pinto's answer

after he got the specimen:
Hi Margarethe:
Lady Meloe arrived today in good condition. She is Meloe barbarus LeConte. In the photo the pronotum seemed longer than it is - thus my guess on the other species - which by the way it is totally unrelated to. M. barbarus belongs to a group of species in which the male does not have antennae with the C-shaped modification. Your specimen was full of eggs. Too bad she didn't oviposit; we don't have direct evidence for the larvae of this species.

Regarding Arizona records for barbarus. In our 1970 revision, only 3 AZ state records were indicated. Since then I have come across a single female from 6 mi. W of Silverbell, also Pima Co. It was collected January 10, 2002. So this is a very uncommon species in Arizona. Consider that Floyd Werner, a meloid specialist at Univ. Arizona for decades, apparently never collected it.

… margarethe brummermann, 18 March, 2010 - 7:32pm

Congrats!

I haven't seen one of these anywhere in years!

… Eric R. Eaton, 8 March, 2010 - 12:13pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… margarethe brummermann, 8 March, 2010 - 8:55am

Meloe niger, female(?)

I forgot I have The Meloidae of AZ by Werner et al (1966). They list three species. Meloe impressus is considered a fall species and more chocolate-brown in color. M. laevis has the last four antennal segments thicker than the previous segments, apparently in both sexes. Other species may have been found/described from AZ, so barring that this is most-likely M. niger.

… Blaine Mathison, 7 March, 2010 - 7:45pm

Thanks, Blaine

I am trying to get a copy of that helpful paper. I will also try the U o A collection. Should I move it to M. niger for now?

… margarethe brummermann, 7 March, 2010 - 10:46pm

The UofA collection

should be very helpful. Floyd Werner worked there until the end of his career and the Meloidae are well-represented and well-curated. We can leave in Meloe fo now, pending Pinto's comments.

… Blaine Mathison, 8 March, 2010 - 10:27am

Meloe yes...

nice! I never saw these all my years in AZ. Vassili will probably send to Pinto, who may be able to get a species ID.

… Blaine Mathison, 7 March, 2010 - 6:21pm

done

holding my breath

… v belov, 7 March, 2010 - 6:30pm

Is there a revision of this genus?

… George Waldren, 7 March, 2010 - 7:20pm