Blue beetle

Might possibly be Phyllophaga micans, as bandrow suggested.

Greetings,

I checked my collection and I wouldn't be comfortable putting a species name on this specimen using the image. The external differences between P. micans and P. cupuliformis are too subtle to use, and genitalia would have to be used to ID them for sure. I have specimens of micans from Tyler, Texas and some cupuliformis from Louisiana, so locality is no help. To further complicate matters, I had forgotten about P. sacoma - another bluish species - until I spotted that in the collection - a single male from the San Antonio area. I don't know how widely in Texas sacoma ranges...

Cheers!
Bandrow

Sorry, I don't have images of the other species and all I have at home is a camera on my phone - it won't capture enough detail to be useful.

To dissect the genitalia, one would have to relax the specimen in a relaxing chamber, and then extract the genitalia using fine-pointed forceps. I often place the specimens in the relaxer for about 24 hours and then open the pygidial opening (the opening of the abdomen) and then place them back into the relaxer for another 24 hours, to allow the internal membranes to soften, making it easier to extract the genitalia. The parameres are delicate, so it is easy to damage them if you've not done this before. It is much easier on fresh specimens, or specimens that were killed and not yet dried.

Also - it is likely that relaxing the specimen will cause water-spotting on that bluish iridescence and the beetle may not look so great once done. I would suggest not fiddling with it, unless you have a real need for an ID. It's a nicely colored specimen, even if the name is uncertain...

Cheers!
Bandrow

That's great that you found more. I would suggest this - there are certainly other species of Phyllophaga flying in your area right now - some of which will be abundant in numbers. Catch a batch of those brown guys and use them to practice on extracting the genitalia. Then once you get comfortable, do the blue guys. Also - try to keep them all frozen until you dissect - that way they'll dissect "like butter"

You won't need a scalpel, only some fine forceps. Open the pygidium where it meets the abdomen - it will flip up like a trap-door. Then examine the abdominal contents - you should be able to clearly see the parameres in males - they're heavily chitinized and just inside the opening. Grasp the ends with the forceps gently and pull until it pops out. You can either leave the genitalia attached and let it dry with the specimen, or remove it and glue it onto a point pinned under the specimen (on the same pin).

Females will have sclerotized genital plates, and I've found on fresh specimens, if you pull the apical portion of the genitalia out and then exert some pressure on the abdomen, fluids in the body will cause the genitalia to "pop" or inflate, so that they're fully visible. Just be careful not to tear any membranes or the genitalia won't inflate.

If I can conjure some images of what I'm babbling about above, I'll post them. I've done literally thousands of these as I have a particular interest in the genus and have amassed about 12 drawers containing about 95% of the North American species. Having done so many, it's easy for me, but as a beginner, it might be a bit frustrating until you get the hang of it. But be careful - once you start dissecting these and coming up with more and more species, they become addicting!!

Cheers!
Bandrow

This is what insectnet is supposed to be like!