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Project Noah Nature School
Family Chrysomelidae
A very small Leaf Beetle, normally about 3-4 mm long. The elytra are a dark metallic green or blue and the thorax is orange-red. The females of these beetles can become so engorged with eggs that their abdomens reach up to 5 times their normal size and are often brightly colored. The elytra on this beetle are the small dark flaps at the upper edge of the abdomen. They often look superficially like stink bugs from a distance. Family Chrysomelidae. The last picture was taken in the same place on 27 July 2016.
Common on bushes along the Highway between San Cristobal and Tuxtla Gutierrez, Km 18.5, 1164 meters.
Very close to M. marginata female (fig. 2):
http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections...
Species not listed for Mexico, known from Guatemala. As you see in the plates, males do not differ that much and probably are flightless as well.
Congratulations Lauren! This quite remarkable beetle has been chosen as our Spotting of the Week!
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/7...
Thank you Dan, yes way too big for the whole beetle. I wonder if the abdomen returns to a normal size after egg laying.
Woah! Kinda crazy looking beetle, that abdomen looks way too big for its head!
Spotted on Jul 15, 2016
Submitted on Jul 21, 2016
