We spent several hours in the afternoon walking the trails. And this was the only portion you were allowed to go as a self tour. To see the other pictographs in the park, you must go with a park guide.
Before we made it to the second pictographs grouping, we found this awesome beetle. It is Megetra cancellata! It does not have a common name, but some people call it the the Black and Red Blister Beetle. It feeds on nectar and other plant juices of native plants. Be very careful, as contact can result in painful blisters from a caustic chemical called cantharidin.
This is the overhang of second grouping of pictographs.
Hand prints!
Unfortunately, recent people have left their marks as well and still today it is a problem for the park.
More!
So cool!
Can you see the snake head?
The snake was my favorite of all the pictographs!
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
8 Comments
I love Hueco Tanks. That blister beetle is interesting. It looks like the elytra aren’t fully developed; they look like a cape on its shoulders. Is this species able to fly?
Suzanne, I found a few things on the internet. So they do not fly. When I was watching and taking its photo, it just dragged it abdomen on the ground as it moved forward. A volunteer or a park employee (don’t know which he was) told us that the beetle shows up in the fall. He also said the one with the larger elytra were the females. I could not find anything to confirm that. So since not much is out there on them, I guess few have studied them. So many things to learn. Hope we have time to study before they (insects in general) disappear. 🙁 Don’t know if you have heard but insects have decline 70-some percent. It is very alarming.
Suzanne, I forgot to mention, we do have one species of the short winged blister beetle in our area called the Buttercup Oil Beetle (Meloe americanus). I have seen it here at home at least twice.
Thanks, Mary, for doing the extra research on the Megetra, and for sharing info on our local blister beetle species. Yes, it’s scary and sad about the incredible decline of insects. I noticed in my own yard this year how relatively few insects of all sorts were present. Except ringed paper wasps. I’m apparently providing habitat for all ringed paper wasps on our street LOL.
I love Hueco Tanks. That blister beetle is interesting. It looks like the elytra aren’t fully developed; they look like a cape on its shoulders. Is this species able to fly?
The snake IS awesome!
Snake looks venomous. Except pupils. Love the pictographs. Thanks
I tried to get more info on the Megetra – went to Bug Guide and other references – nothing but photos and taxonomy. Mystery beetle!
Suzanne, I found a few things on the internet. So they do not fly. When I was watching and taking its photo, it just dragged it abdomen on the ground as it moved forward. A volunteer or a park employee (don’t know which he was) told us that the beetle shows up in the fall. He also said the one with the larger elytra were the females. I could not find anything to confirm that. So since not much is out there on them, I guess few have studied them. So many things to learn. Hope we have time to study before they (insects in general) disappear. 🙁 Don’t know if you have heard but insects have decline 70-some percent. It is very alarming.
Suzanne, I forgot to mention, we do have one species of the short winged blister beetle in our area called the Buttercup Oil Beetle (Meloe americanus). I have seen it here at home at least twice.
So awesome. And so awful what the modern visitors feel they have to do. That deer is really well done too.
Thanks, Mary, for doing the extra research on the Megetra, and for sharing info on our local blister beetle species. Yes, it’s scary and sad about the incredible decline of insects. I noticed in my own yard this year how relatively few insects of all sorts were present. Except ringed paper wasps. I’m apparently providing habitat for all ringed paper wasps on our street LOL.