Species Megacerus maculiventris

Megacerus maculiventris (Fåhraeus 1839)

2.0–2.5 mm(1)

The serrate ventromesal margin of the metafemur will immediately separate this species from all other species in this report except M. schaefferianus, from which M. maculiventris may be distinguished by its mottled integumental and vestitural pattern (no pattern in M. schaefferianus)... (1)

Integument varying from red to black;

head always black, antenna varying from basal seven and terminal segments red to black with some reddish suffusion;

pronotum all black to black median shield with red flanks (figure 247);

elytra varying from all black to red with black basal patch;

venter of body variable with red and black patches; legs red to black. (1)

Vestiture of head mostly yellow with white patch behind eye; pronotum mixed white and yellow in pattern shown in figure 247; elytral vestiture varying from black with scattered white spots in those specimens with uniformly black elytra to black with white patches on red integument; pygidium uniformly yellow, uniformly white, or yellow with white patches, always with paired subapical black spots, sometimes with another pair at one-third from base (figure 248); venter of body with variable-sized patches of red, white, yellow, and red vestiture in no consistent pattern. (1)

AZ, TX to n. S. America(1)

Ipomoea spp. (1)