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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by AkshatPatel
Published on Project Noah
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26.92, 70.9

Field Notes

Description:

I found this beetle around in the sand dunes. They were all over the place, digging and running around here and there. When I got hold of one, it first sort of pushed out with its legs and then suddenly took them under its body so that my grip went off and it started running away...

Habitat:

Desert

Species ID Suggestions

Pinacate beetle or Stink beetle

Eleodes obscurus
DarioEsauLaraMoya
1

Comments (4)
AkshatPatel
I found one entry very similar to the one I have in this picture. But it;s scientific name is nowhere else on Google - Pimelia Granulicollis is showing me irrelevent results. http://www.meloidae.com/en/pictures/3818/
KristalWatrous
It is probably not Eleodes obscurus, based on location. I don't know if the genus Eleoodes is found in Rajasthan, but this beetle is definitely in the family Tenebrionidae, to which that genus belongs. Perhaps start there, and see which tenebrionid genera are found near you?
AkshatPatel
Hi Dario, thanks for the ID; but are you sure about the classification? Because when I read the Wikipedia page about Eleodes Obscurus, it says that they are found from southern British Columbia to northern Mexico and east to Texas, Kansas and Wyoming. I found this one in Rajasthan, that is west India. Also, the Google images for this beetle show vertical linings on its back, which are not on this one. Well, you might be right and I'm no expert in this matter; but I was just making sure.
DarioEsauLaraMoya
Usually found under rocks, decaying plants, leaflitter, or walking across "open ground" around sunset hour. Be careful when manipulating (or stepping on) this beetle as it will squirt some stinky liquid as a defensive tactic.

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Mission
2011 Best Wildlife Photo
Photographed
PublishedNovember 7, 2011

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