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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
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Photo#83564
Primitive Bombardier Beetle - Metrius contractus

Primitive Bombardier Beetle - Metrius contractus
Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Sunday Peak, Tulare County, California, USA
July 1, 2005
Size: about 12 mm
Occasionally these would be seen on the ground or under logs or rocks.

Moved
Moved from Metrius.

Moved
Moved from Brachininae.

Moved
Moved from Darkling Beetles.
I moved it here for now...

Carabid
That pronotum suggests Ground Beetle to me, worth another look

 
Might be!
Yes, this reminds me of a kind of primitive bombardier beetle, Metrius contractus, which should occur in that locality.

 
I like it
Didn't have any particular genus in mind, just didn't say darkling beetle. Metrius certainly looks good - did a little reading and very odd carabid indeed.