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Eleodes obscurus
The pinacate beetle, also known as the stink beetle, is a species of darkling beetle in the genus Eleodes endemic to the Sonoran Desert and adjacent regions of the U.S. Southwest and Mexico, usually the species Eleodes obscurus. The name is also loosely applied to a number of closely related species of Eleodes, of Western Mexico and the Western United States (including but not limited to the Great Basin), which, aside from the wooly darkling beetle, are not easily distinguished from each other. The name pinacate is Mexican Spanish, derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) name for the insect, pinacatl, which translates as "black beetle".
Subtropical forest.
Spotted on Oct 19, 2013
Submitted on Oct 21, 2013
2 Comments
Thank you Ashley.
What an awesome find! The darkling beetles I find have less pronounced legs, and let out quite an odor when handled (as this one does as well). I admire the tapering shape, also.