Malachius bipustulatus?

Gestart door DJHiker, juli 25, 2014, 15:50:40 PM

Vorige topic - Volgende topic

DJHiker

I would like to know which species this is
It concerns this sighting
http://observado.org/waarneming/view/86608413
identification uncertain Malachius bipustulatus observed at 2014-06-24 Spain - Girona
Photos:


Can anyone confirm that this is Malachius bipustulatus?
Location: Spanish Pyrenees, altitude approx. 1200m

thanks in advance David Kohl
David Kohl

Arp

CiteerCan anyone confirm that this is Malachius bipustulatus?
Nope.

These are not easy to identify and if at all possible larger shots of minute details under the exact right angle are needed:

  • A good shot on the yellow/red spots at the end of the elytra could be useful to confirm that it's a female and to better appreciate the exact color and shape of the spots.
  • Colour of legs in high detail to discern the presence of red knees and tarsi (very hard to recognize on photo!!), especially on 1st legs
  • Colour and shape of palps/jaws
  • Colour and shape of antenna segments, especially from below/side
  • Colour of abdomen/sides
  • Hairs on elytra in center and on the lateral edges
  • Exact shape of pronotum
  • .... other? (I'm still learning ...)
It's a female. Females are even harder to identify than males. The spots seem to be more yellow than red and the antenna segmentss also seem to point away from Mal.bip.. This would suggest possibly Clanoptilus elegans or C. arnaizi. I'm not sure if there might even be more closely resembling species in the region.

From this picture, my money would be 40/35/25 on C.arnaizi/C.elegans/something else.

If you want to test the limits of photo-ID for this one you may want to try the French forum at insecte.org. One of their contributors is a world class specialist for Malachiidae and he will know the Mediterranean species, their IDing characters, jizz, distribution/altitude-limits etc. If anyone can connect a name to this photo it will be him.
Groetengedoe, Arp (wrn - JungleDragon)

DJHiker

Dasyto50 at insecte.org says it's Clanoptilus elegans, based on the width of the protonum and the yellow color of the elytra-spots:
"C. elegans car le pronotum est étroit et l'apex élytral franchement jaune."
I could provide him with some extra information because in my "rejected images" folder I found two additional -although highly unsharp- views of the same specimen.
I take it that Dasyto50 is the specialist you referred to in your reply.
Cheers,
David
David Kohl

Arp

Groetengedoe, Arp (wrn - JungleDragon)