Nabidae Nabis sp.

[JRsbugs]

Hi,

Nabis pseudoferus is said to have less hairy wings than N. ferus. I can't see any other than a few at the top edge of the forewing, so could this be Nabis pseudoferus? Or something else?

Janet

[Acutipuerilis]

Sorry Janet, but you'll need higher mag than that! I'm pretty sure it'll turn out to be ferus.

[Jason Green]

Evening Janet,

Originally Posted by Acutipuerilis

Sorry Janet, but you'll need higher mag than that! I'm pretty sure it'll turn out to be ferus.

My thoughts too - it'd be pretty difficult to pick-out such hairs on a pale ground colour such as this, in my opinion. I should think a slightly below side-on may show if you had a dark background colour behind - but even then...

Still, it's a nice photo - I must look out for these again, haven't recorded one this year!

Take care,

Jason

[JRsbugs]

I wuld have got closer but it was quite big so I tried to get it all in.

I got another shot which I rescued from the recycle bin, from front, it flew after that. I'll watch out for it...

Don't forget to click again!

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Evening Janet,



My thoughts too - it'd be pretty difficult to pick-out such hairs on a pale ground colour such as this, in my opinion. I should think a slightly below side-on may show if you had a dark background colour behind - but even then...

Still, it's a nice photo - I must look out for these again, haven't recorded one this year!

Take care,

Jason

do better Jason!!

[JRsbugs]

I've cropped the pics down which might make a difference...

[Jason Green]

I've just found this: Nabis pseudoferus? (detail) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Now, on your newly-cropped photos I can't see too many hairs, but it looks to have some along the 'veins' of the corium. In comparison Tristan's 'decent possibility' doesn't which, if his is pseudoferus, doesn't maybe on account of having far fewer than ferus - which all makes me think yours is still more likely Nabis ferus.

That said, it's all conjecture really - I'll await Joe and Tristan on this

[JRsbugs]

The more localised N. pseudoferus is very similar, but lacks the densely hairy forewings and has markedly fewer hairs at the apex of the corium

These forewings are by no means densely hairy, in fact there's 'barely' a hair to be seen! The wider base of the pronotum also knocks out the other species.

Markedly fewer hairs at the apex of the corium depends on how many N. ferus has, but with the obvious lack of hairs on the forewings this surely points towards Nabis pseudoferus.

[Acutipuerilis]

I'm afraid you really can't tell how hairy it is from these photos. On the right edge you can see a fair few hairs, but they vanish when on the pale background. I'm amazed how hairy things like anthocorids are when you get them under a microscope, or have the angle exactly right - and you'd never guess from most photos.