ID confirmations required please

[turntostone]

1. Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis.
Warburg, Oxfordshire on 29th April



2. Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis
College Lake, Tring on 2nd May



Confirmation or ortherwise appreciated.

Thanks

[aeshna5]

Agree with these. I've seen a couple of the Cardinal Beetle recently.

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi,

no.2 seems to big for Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis. You normally need a sideview of the thorax to differ between C. aureolus and C. sericeus. The beetle is elongate. So I think it is C. sericeus, but not for sure.

Regards
Klaas

[turntostone]

Thanks to you both.

Klass do you know if there's a good basic guide to British Coleoptera so I
can at lease try to ID them to family?

Gordon

[Jason Green]

Morning Gordon,

Try to get a copy of the Unwin's AIDGAP key to British beetle families (1984). As ever, it may not work from just photos.

Take care,

Jason

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi Gordon,

I can't help with these questions. I'm only a stupid German and don't know many books written in English. I could tell a good book about british butterflies, but it is nearly 25 years ago I bought it in a shop in Kingsbridge in South Devon. So I think you don't get it anymore.

If you're speaking good German I could tell you a very good volume of 15 books with a key to the beetles of Central Europe.

To determine beetles down to the family and maybe genus the pages of a friend might be very helpful:

Beetles (Coleoptera) of the German beetle fauna - kerbtier.de

Regards
Klaas

[turntostone]

Klass,

You have been very helpful. Your English is very good.

I don't expect to ever be proficient on insect ID but
if I can get them down to family or Genus it at least shows
i am trying when I put them on the forum for you experts
to ID.

Will look at your friends web pages.

Thanks again
Gordon

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi Gordon,

don't worry about the "stupid German". This is my way of joking. I even could have said "Kraut". *rofl*

Regards
Klaas