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Balgus sp.
A treasure of a Beetle, somewhat unique in that while it looks like a Jewel Beetle (Buprestidae) it is actually a squat and hairy little Click Beetle (Elateridae)! It has a color pattern of black, yellow and maroon. The last picture was taken on the window screen, but shows the design on the elytra the best. About 1 cm long. This weird little Click Beetle also lacks the clicking mechanism of most other Elaterids (Subfamily Thylacosterninae).
Came to an ultraviolet light. Finca Argovia, Ruta de Cafe, Soconusco area of southern Chiapas, Mexico. About 1 hour from Tapachula (Hotel Argovia Finca Resort, Km. 39 + 2, Carretera a Nueva Alemania, 30700 Tapachula de Córdova y Ordoñez, Chis., Mexico). 617 meters.
The Subfamily Thylacosterninae is comprised of 5 genera. The genus Balgus has 9 species thus far known, this one is currently Species 1. This genus differs from all other Thylacosterninae in having tubercles on the pronotum (best seen in Picture 3). https://www.researchgate.net/publication... http://www.coleoptera-neotropical.org/pa... http://tolweb.org/Thylacosterninae/14594... http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/view... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2739...
Dear thaptor....I am in shock. I should have noticed the prolongations of the pronotum and been at least a bit suspicious. I also wish I had taken a ventral photo. I think I still have the beetle. I have been walking about in shock. You are very kind to say that this was a hard one, I don't feel quite so ridiculous. Thank you very much for the identification and once again for a humbling experience. Sorry I am so behind in catching up with your suggestions, I've been traveling and working. Thank you again.
This was a pretty difficult one!
The systematic position of Thylacosterninae is on debate. Traditionally, they were sorted in Eucnemidae, then Troscidae, now Elateridae.
They do not "click" - I have observed one species in Indonesia several times:
http://www.beetle-diversity.com/node/642...