Bonus beetles
Here are some boffo blue beetles.
I don’t know anything about them. We found them last year just below a cloud forest in southern Veracruz, Mexico, on the side of a road that crossed a re-grown lava flow.
There were hundreds of them, congregating for reasons possible to guess at, but known only to themselves, in an astounding density. Each is just over 1/2 inch long, and the color is true.
Anyone know who they are?
Here is an bonus unidentified beetle, big and green, seen at the same location. It was almost 2 inches long. The irregular dark shape that looks like backwards Texas in the highlight of its carapace is the reflection of my hand holding the camera. That’s how reflective its shell was. Click to enlarge, and look at all its little pores!
(All photos A.Shock)
Update: After looking around the internet, I believe the green beetle on the left is a Fig beetle, Cotinus sp.
I’m also working on the theory that the blue beetles may be cobalt milkweed beetles, Chrysochus cobaltinus, but further investigation is needed.
If these IDs are correct, both beetles are quite common, and also occur in the southern US. The fig beetle is a favorite prey item of Mississippi kites, and no wonder — it looks like it might have some meat under its hood.
Extremely attractive beetles. I particularly enjoy the cobalt milkweeds, or whatever they turn out to be.
I had the pleasure of petting four large lizards today; in the digging and loadering and general leveling of the front yard, four of them were disturbed from deep stupor. They soon warmed up and wandered off. Hopefully they will just go back to sleep…