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Net-winged Beetle

Calopteron sp

Photo by Felix Fleck
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

About 2cm long. Tear drop-shaped beetle with bright orange colouration and two black bands across the elytra; hind wings are black at the tips. The colouration is aposematic, as these beetles are poisonous.

Habitat:

Semi-arid region in central Mexico during rainy season.

Reference Links:

Calopteron - Wikipedia, Genus Calopteron - BugGuide.Net

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)
DanielePralong
Congratulations Felix, your Net-winged Beetle is our Spotting of the Day: "Eat-me-not! This bright orange net-winged beetle (Calopteron sp. ) is our Spotting of the Day. Net-winged beetles (family Lycidae) are distasteful to predators. Research has shown that North American lycids in the genera Calopteron and Lycus are avoided as prey by thrushes, wolf spiders and orb-weaving spiders. These beetles contain a compound named lycidic acid that accounts in part for their unpalatability to predators. Lycid beetles also contain compounds known as pyrazines, powerful odorants that could serve in an aposematic capacity to ward off predatory attacks. For more information on the defensive chemistry of lycid beetles: https://buff.ly/2qOTTTe " Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603/10161146191655603/?type=3&theater&ifg=1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/1063214698408148998

Spotted for Missions

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Beetles!
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Insects from Mexico!
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2018 Best Wildlife Photo

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Photographed
PublishedAugust 19, 2018

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