All grown up! - Lycostomus sanguineus

Moved

Moved from Lycus.

… Jim McClarin, 1 November, 2006 - 6:01pm

Species ID

I think this is Lycus sanguineus. They are pretty common on streams in Arizona. I found a female this weekend with a really swollen abdomen. It probably was full of eggs.

… Alexander Kaiser, 23 May, 2006 - 5:58pm

I even googled your name,

but with over 53,000 links for Alexander Kaiser I was disinclined to do an exhaustive search :-)

… Jim McClarin, 24 May, 2006 - 7:06pm

Thanks, but I need more info.

When someone offers an ID, it is useful if they are able to comment authoritatively, such as a credentialed coleopterist or collector who knows what traits distinguish the species in question from other possibilities.

Barring this, it is still useful if the offered ID can be used to find Internet images that agree with the image in question. In this case, I found no other images of that species on the Web.

All too often, someone of knowledge and stature sufficient to give authoritative IDs logs onto bugguide but fails to give any personal information that would make their suggestion count for much. Then, to question or ignore their suggestion risks offending them. (For all I know, you could be the world's foremost lycid expert.)

This places the image contributor in an awkward position, since they want to expess gratitude for the ID but want to be accurate as well.

Sorry to burden you with all this explanation. Hopefully you or someone will be able to set my mind at ease on this ID. But till then, I'll leave it at genus level.

… Jim McClarin, 23 May, 2006 - 6:42pm

image here

sp. is listed from NM and image (not great for ID purposes) can be found here.

… Phillip Harpootlian, 1 November, 2006 - 4:46pm

Thank you, Phillip.

I see agreement on enough points to say Alexander Kaiser's ID is most likely correct. (Of course *he* knew that, but I had to see something further before accepting the the suggestion.)

L. sanguineus is listed in the BISON species list for New Mexico, including the Organ Mountains.

… Jim McClarin, 1 November, 2006 - 5:59pm

Alexander Kaiser

I assume Alexander Kaiser is an insect physiologist at Midwestern University or ASU

… Phillip Harpootlian, 2 November, 2006 - 8:18am