2 beetles, caterpillar and something else for ID

[djeyewater]

A few from today for ID if anyone can help:

#1 About 3mm maybe?


#2 About 2mm I think


#3 I think this is a Darkling beetle Lagria hirta but would appreciate confirmation/correcting if I am wrong.


#4 Body about 12mm long. I am guessing it turns into a really plain brown moth?


Thanks,

Dave

[CapAndBracket]

The caterpillar is a vapourer Orgyia antiqua.

Cheers J.P.

[djeyewater]

Thanks, I'd never seen such a wierd looking caterpillar before (although I've not seen a lot of caterpillars). Looks like I was close with my guess about what it turns into.

Dave

[oxycera]

Lagria hirta is ok

[Tracey.A]

The closest thing I can find for the catterpillar is a moth called the vapourer, although the colour isn't right, but everything else is.

Tracey

[CapAndBracket]

They are really interesting and easy to raise,(the vapourer that is) quite easy on food type, i use
bramble, when the eggs hatch they are tiny (mostly black hairs), they can spread out by ballooning like some spiders do, they spin a kind of web in which to pupate.
When they emerge the males are quite pretty and fast fliers, evolution has taken them on an unususal path in that the females are fligthless, virtually
lost their wings, they emerge and sit on their cocoon emitting pheremones
to attract a male for mating and lay thier eggs often on the cocoon. it's amazing how we rarely see the males but put a fresh emerged female by an open window and males will appear as from nowhere in minutes, those
pheramones sure are powerfull.

Cheers J.P.

[Pudding4brains]

Hi All,

Nr.1 looks like some flea beetle, maybe a Longitarsus sp.? (Reminds me somewhat of Longitarsus jacobaeae anyway)


Nr.2 should be some "hopper".

For both Nr1 and Nr2 you'll probably need to come up with a name for the host plant if you want to stick a name on them - but I'm no expert in either group.

Originally Posted by oxycera

Lagria hirta is ok

Hi Oxycera - that's cool - how do you tell these apart from Lagria atripes? The beetle people on a dutch forum seem to be reluctant to do that (they specialize in other groups though)... would be neat to know

Cheers, Arp

P.S. For Oxycera: Can you this one too?

[oxycera]

[quote]

Originally Posted by pudding4brains

hi All,

How Do You Tell These Apart From lagria Atripes

I don't, I didn't realise that was an option; what's the lowdown on L.atripes then?

[Pudding4brains]

Hi Oxycera,

Neat trick with the capitals in the quote ... also, I don't get the original quoted text (mine) when I quote you ... peculiar ... :?

Originally Posted by oxycera

I don't, I didn't realise that was an option; what's the lowdown on L.atripes then?

Ahw, okay, that's a shame ... if I had the lowdown I wouldn't be asking Just know from reading along that the 'standard' answer usually is something like: "I think this is species X but I really can't tell from photo" - suggesting that there is at least some "jizz" difference going on and that they suspect others, with more experience with the critters, might be able to tell them apart...

Oh well, I'll try to find out more next time

Thanks for the answer though!
Cheers, Arp

[Paul mabbott]

[quote=oxycera;304918]

I don't, I didn't realise that was an option; what's the lowdown on L.atripes then?

There is only one British Lagria species - which makes life a lot easier!