Subject: Lytta beetle
Geographic location of the bug: Northern Chihuahuan Desert
Date: 07/16/2021
Time: 08:11 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman : I am an undergraduate at the University of New Mexico and I am currently working in a lab that studies ecological relationships. I am very interested in beetles and I am hoping to do research on them for my master’s. While out doing field work I came across this beautiful guy, I was able to determine that it belongs in the genus Lytta, but I am unable to identify a species. Any insight would be helpful and much appreciated!
How you want your letter signed: Emily
Dear Emily,
Blister Beetles are indeed fascinating. This does appear to be a member of the genus Lytta, and it resembles the Master Blister Beetle, though it is lacking the red thorax. The closest match we could find on BugGuide is the Red Eared Blister Beetle, Lytta auriculata, but we are not convinced that is your species. Your individual appears to have short, textured, green elytra.
Update: July 20, 2021
Frequent contributor Cesar Crash from Insetologia believe this might be Eupompha fissiceps which is represented on BugGuide.
Emily Grant
I think it’s Eupompha fissiceps https://bugguide.net/node/view/244381/bgpage Probably a female.
Thanks for the input Cesar. All the individuals pictured on BugGuide have elytra that end at the tip of the abdomen. The submitted image has shorter elytra. Not sure if that is relevant.
Check these: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1587052/bgpage
https://guatemala.inaturalist.org/taxa/459713-Eupompha-fissiceps
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eupompha_fissiceps_-_Flickr_-_aspidoscelis_(1).jpg
And the shape of the head here: https://64.media.tumblr.com/47c6fafd397474a3c724971f6156f440/tumblr_opamp6M77C1tw1bfno2_1280.jpg
I think the angle made the elytra seem to be shorter than it actually is.
Looks good. Thanks Cesar