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Photo#73003
metallic blue histerid - Saprinus coerulescens

metallic blue histerid - Saprinus coerulescens
Low base of Organ Mountains, Dona Ana County, New Mexico, USA
August 9, 2006
Size: about 4.3 mm
I had hoped to pass a grocery store on my way up into the foothills where I would do an all-nighter with my UV lights and set out 12 baited pitfall traps. I needed to get some meat that would rot in the bait compartments to attract certain beetle families. No grocery stores, but what I did spy was a roadkill jackrabbit on the gravel road. I gathered the deceased vertebrate inside three Walmart bags (leaked all over anyway), but not before checking it thoroughly for arthropods. There were 5 or 6 small black hister beetles underneath plus this gleaming metallic blue one.

In comparing histerids morphologically, one might note that the elytral punctation on this one is fairly constant and uniform whereas other species have bare areas, often between the stria or in the anterior non-striated area.

Images of this individual: tag all
metallic blue histerid - Saprinus coerulescens metallic blue histerid - Saprinus coerulescens metallic blue histerid - Saprinus coerulescens

Comments

Moved
Moved from Xerosaprinus.

Xerosaprinus coerulescens (LeConte)
The color, lack of elytral mirrors, and compressed prosternum with approximate, parallel, "lyriform" lateral & carinal striae peg it.

 
Oh boy!
Thanks, Bill! I was hoping the underside view I found would help you peg this one.

Moved
Moved from Saprinus.

Moved
Moved from Clown Beetles.

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