Final one tonight!

[jezlee]

Now I thought I'd find this one straight away in my book, seeing as he's so distinctive .... hmmmm ..... oh no I didn't!!

Any ideas?

[matt_xyz]

maybe Strangalia maculata?

Matt

[Paul mabbott]

Great to see a yellow-black cerambycid that isn't Clytus arietis! I agree this is S. maculata, which is really quite variable but critical features seem right (?)!

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

maybe Strangalia maculata?
Matt

[Gill Catton]

Forgive the stupid question, but is it a kind of longhorn beetle? What is it's status?

[matt_xyz]

it is a type of Longhorn Beetle Gill, but I don't know about its status.

Matt

[jezlee]

Hi everyone .... after trawling around the internet, it seems my beetle is indeed Strangalia maculata, although in some cases I have seen it referred to as Rutpela maculata – has its latin name been changed recently?

This seems to be another species where the markings on the elytra are quite varied, but everything about it, including the location and the presence nearby of umbelliferous plants, one of its preferred food sources, seems to confirm the identification.

[henrya]

Quote
Strangalia maculata, although in some cases I have seen it referred to as Rutpela maculata – has its latin name been changed recently?
Endquote

Yes - it's now (June 2006!) in the genus Rutpela - but who knows for how long?

henrya

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by henrya

Quote
Strangalia maculata, although in some cases I have seen it referred to as Rutpela maculata – has its latin name been changed recently?
Endquote

Yes - it's now (June 2006!) in the genus Rutpela - but who knows for how long?

henrya

Thanks for that, Henry ....

[nightshade]

Hi Henrya,any idea why they change the name,and are these changes really that frequent?

[henrya]

The reason that scientific names change is that opinions change on how species are related. Presumably somebody has taken a close look at the longhorn beetles and decided that Strangalia maculata is sufficiently different from the other species of Strangalia to warrant it being put into a separate genus. Further research, perhaps using DNA analysis, may yet lead to it being moved from Rutpela to Trupela!

As for frequency of changes, that will depend on how many people are working on the particular group - but changing the name may well provoke a spurt of further study from those who perhaps disagree with the changes.

Few species are immune to having their names changed - Blue Tit is now Cyanistes caeruleus and Willow Tit is now Poecile montanus, for example.

henrya