Oil beetle - Meloe - BugGuide.Net

Image

Can we get an image of the entire bug in one shot? It may be easier to comprehend rather than the jig-saw puzzle.

… John R. Maxwell, 25 May, 2010 - 8:20am

Nope, sorry.

When I take my photos and the insect is big enough I start with full body shots. To put it on bug guide though I have to crop the photos down to about 2/3rds their original size. This is why with some insects (such as this one) I need to cut the original photo in two to provide a full body shot.

… Lonny, 25 May, 2010 - 4:05pm

Image

If you are being told the file is too big you don't need to crop out little tiny pieces, you can RESIZE it to something smaller. Take one of the huge files of the whole insect and RESIZE to 1500x1500 or even 560x560 since no one but the editors can see the full-size view anyway.

… John R. Maxwell, 25 May, 2010 - 7:21pm

Thanks

Looked into resizing an image, and used it to add a full body shot of a male and a female.

… Lonny, 25 May, 2010 - 9:42pm

M. exiguus Pinto & Selander or M. occultus Pinto & Selander

J.D. Pinto det.

so here's our verdict; anyway, nice find... don't hesitate to photograph more oil beetles, and whatever you come across. =v=

Moved from ID Request.

… v belov, 25 May, 2010 - 4:22am

Thanks!

Also, what's the difference between M. exiguus Pinto & Selander and M. occultus Pinto & Selander?

… Lonny, 25 May, 2010 - 3:47pm

not a faintest clue

John's the author of both, but i never ask experts such questions -- i know they are often overwhelmingly hard to answer. a friend recently bought twin puppies who look identical to everybody but her; as a beetle guy, i'm not surprised.....

… v belov, 25 May, 2010 - 3:54pm

Dr Pinto's Q: "Do we know the size of this animal?"

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 7:16pm

Size of the bug.

aprox. 3/4th in. that would be it almost exactly, maybe an error of about 1/8th in. longer to 2/8th in. shorter. measuring from the head to the tip of the abdomen. (not including antennas.)

… Lonny, 24 May, 2010 - 7:34pm

no-no-no

metric only please [mm]
there's no such thing as inch in science :/

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 7:45pm

WHAT!!!!

measurements don't stop existing in science... they just suffer disuse:(
anyways, aprox. 2.5cm with an error of about 2mm longer to 4mm shorter.

… Lonny, 24 May, 2010 - 7:52pm

perfect

(measurements don't, units do)
over the last ~150 years all entomological publications in this country use millimeters

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 8:04pm

btw...

ND is badly underrepresented in the Guide, which makes your contribution all the more valuable. any chance you can keep the captive bugs a bit longer, just in case voucher specimens are needed? our experts often ask about it, and on great many occasions voucher specimens not only helped to make the guide a more reliable source, but went to state/institutional collections as valuable evidence

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 5:13pm

I'd be happy to.

Sadly I can't keep them alive for a long period of time as I photograph so many insects, and so lack the space, knowledge, time, and resources to care for all of them. I suppose I could start an insect collection (though the purpose of my photographic bug collection was to create a bug collection without killing bugs, or only killing a select few which were to uncontrollable or fast to photograph alive). Anyways I would be happy to help provide voucher specimens. Do you know of any good websites that go over how to label, mount/preserve, and transport specimens for said use? Also, thanks for the continued help with identifying the insects I find.

… Lonny, 24 May, 2010 - 5:51pm

for mailing purposes [and most others]

...it's best to put specimens into 70-95% EtOH; small plastic vials can be mailed in small padded envelopes.
i'll get back to you -- perhaps offline, if you have an e-mail in your profile; if you don't, pls drop me a word first

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 5:56pm

from J.D. Pinto:

"Unfortunately, photo out of focus exactly where one needs to see pronotum and scutellar character. Best guess is Meloe angusticollis."

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 11:41am

Hope these will help.

I went through the photos I took and added the best I could find of the pronotum and scutellar. I can crop down the photos I added to get just a little more detail if you need it. If you need any ventral shots, sorry I don't have them, and can't get them as I let the bugs go soon after I had caught them.

… Lonny, 24 May, 2010 - 4:49pm

thanks much -- that might work

sit tight :)

… v belov, 24 May, 2010 - 4:59pm