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Megascelis sp.
An interesting combination of features on this bug. Sorry it's not such a good photo.
Spotted in the forest around a finca near La Cruz, far NW Costa Rica.
Can someone please tell me how to distinguish between a bug and a beetle? I am never sure whether to add my spottings to the Beetle mission, or not!
thanks for the links bayucca. I'll read them in the next couple of days. Travelling again for a day or 2!
This is a beetle.
Try to check the wiki for Beetles and Hemiptera. There is a lot of general information about the two groups:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetle
Thanks martini... that really hepls! Now lets see if i can put it into practise...
I believe this is a leaf beetle, Chrysomelidae
Beetles (Coleo-ptera=shield wing) have two elytra, wings modified as hard covers that form a line along their backs. Bugs (Hemi-ptera = half wing) have the first half of their wings thickened and the tips are membranes, they usually form a cross over their back with a large central triangular scutellum. Beetles have biting mouth-parts to eat leaves, etc. Bugs have sucking mouth-parts like aphids and cicadas with whom they are more closely related. Beetles have metamorphosis; egg, grub, pupa and adult. Bugs have egg, small bug, bigger bug, bigger bug and then winged adult bug, looking somewhat similar.
Hope that helps.
Spotted on Nov 6, 2013
Submitted on Nov 6, 2013
