ID : Two Devonian Beetle Species.

Andrew C · #1 (**permalink**) 29-04-2011, 07:58 PM

Evening WAB,

I have attached images of two beetle species found in the garden (Mid-Devon, UK) this afternoon. I would like to appeal to anyone if an identification is possible from these.

The first is a ground beetle measuring about 6.95mm from front to rear not including the legs or antennae, It was discovered in the open topped wooden compost bin.

The second is some sort of longhorn beetle type species and was quite small at 4.65mm from front to rear not including the legs or antennae. This was found on the wooden garden table.

Regards,
Andrew.

Klaas Reißmann · #2 (**permalink**) 29-04-2011, 09:06 PM

Hi,

the ground beetle is hard to say. It is genus Amara and I geuss it is Amara aenea, but there are similar species, so this is not for sure.

The second beetle is an Anobiidae and named Hedobia imperialis.

Regards
Klaas

Andrew C · #3 (**permalink**) 30-04-2011, 04:33 AM

Good morning Klaas,

Excellent, thanks ever so much Klaas. It is good to get one solid identification out of two for me so I appreciate that. I shall store the Amara species for keying when I get a chance to find some online keys later tonight or tomorrow.

Regards,
Andrew.

Fauna · #4 (**permalink**) 30-04-2011, 08:24 AM

Hi Andrew...

I agree with Klaas...looks good for Amara aenea for what a can see. If you still have specimen, could you take a close up (or check yourself) of the area around the scutellum, to see if there is a scutellary pore.

Regards Chris...

Klaas Reißmann · #5 (**permalink**) 30-04-2011, 11:56 AM

Hi,

genus Amara is not easy to identify. There is a lot of species looking or more less the same. The scutellary pore Chris is mentioning is only one attribute of many attributes you need to see to identify Amara. And if you find an online key for amara it wouldn't really help you, because for the ID of Amara you will need a lot of experience you can mostly collect on the beetles itself and not on the photos taken of them. The photos must be of very good quality and you need several photos of one specimen to see all the attributes you need to identify the beetle.

I could help identifying Amara by sending those beetles that are for interrest to my adress, or by very good photos and a number of them.

Regards
Klaas

Andrew C · #6 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 06:33 AM

Morning,

Thanks Chris and Klaas, I shall check the scutellary pores and photograph the specimen as well and variably as I can later today to try and provide more features for examination.

Regards,
Andrew.

Andrew C · #7 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 07:30 PM

Evening again,

As promised I have attached some more images which I hope reveal more detail than the previous ones did.

Regards,
Andrew.

Klaas Reißmann · #8 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 10:21 PM

Hi Andrew,

as I told you, the ID of Amara is nothing easy. The one you took photographs of now, is not the same species as the first. This possibly is Amara similata, Amara ovata or Amara eurynota. Thinking about it should tell you, that this specieman was bigger than the first.

It is nice to have some pictures of different fiews, but it is as follows:

Photo of the underside - only needed of the appendix of the prosternum (important to identificate the subgenus)
1 total to see the haitus and colouration
1 of the legs to see the colouration
1 of the antennae
1 of one frontleg to see the thorns at the end of tibia
1 of the basical corner of the thorax to see the pore in the corner
1 of the basis of the wings to see the scutellary pore
1 of the total basis of the thorax to see if there is pounctation and one or two cavities
1 of the thorax front to see how much it is bended forward
1 very big of the wings to see the microstructures to differ for example the Amara fulvipes - complex (three species)

I'm not quite sure if I forgot the one or the other attribute that can be needed to identify Amara. As you can see, it is everything but easy. That is why I offer to collect the specimen and send them over for ID.

Regards
Klaas

Andrew C · #9 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011, 05:10 PM

Thanks Klaas, this specimen is the same one as earlier images as it has been kept stored in the same tub.

I have cleaned it up now and will attempt to look at the various features as well as obtain some images of the ones you mentioned.

If all else fails I will gratefully send it to you.

Regards,
Andrew.