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Photo#588290
 Notonecta undulata? - Notonecta unifasciata

Notonecta undulata? - Notonecta unifasciata
Antelope Island, Davis County, Utah, USA
October 13, 2011
I thought I was hallucinating when I glanced up and saw this insect on my windshield. I'd never seen a backswimmer out of water (with no pond nearby).

Images of this individual: tag all
 Notonecta undulata? - Notonecta unifasciata  Notonecta undulata? - Notonecta unifasciata  Notonecta undulata? - Notonecta unifasciata  Notonecta undulata? - Notonecta unifasciata

Moved
Moved from Notonecta undulata.

Moved tentatively. Ordinarily, I like to get a good look at the key character(s) for a taxon. In this case, the interocular distances seem to be a good match. From what I can make out, the mesotrochanter seems angulate and not spinose.

Thanks for posting the extra photo. It's too bad the critter wasn't quite ready for its close-up!

Not Notonecta undulata
This is either N. unifasciata]/i] or [i]N. spinosa. I'm leaning towards the former. It would be helpful if you had a clearer shot of the middle leg -- specifically, whether the base of the leg, the trochanter, is angulate or spinose. I can't quite make out which it is from your ventral photo.

Both of these species have a similar color pattern, including the "V" marking on the pronotum. This marking is lacking in N. undulata. Notonectids go on fly-about quite often and will wind up in the weirdest places. They tend to land on cars, as many aquatic insects will do.

 
I've added a close-up
I've added a close-up of the underside and lightened it. I don't know if it will be of any help.

 
Thanks
I still can't make out the character. I'm leaning towards angulate and not spinose from what I can see. Did you happen to measure the size of the specimen?

 
Nope
I barely had time to get the five shots before it panicked and took flight.

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