Help with 4 Beetle IDs Please

[tigger]

Visited my local urban nature reserve (grassland meadow) and found several beetles. Wondered if anyone could help me with IDs as I'm pretty rubbish with beetles! Many thanks. Jane

Beetle 1 - Possible Oedemera nobilis (female)?



Beetle 2 - No idea about this one...?



Beetle 3 - Possible Strangalia melanura? (and also a poss Anthrenus verbasci - varied carpet beetle - top left of flower?)



Beetle 4 - Possible Strangalia maculata

[Fauna]

Morning tigger.

1. For what i can make of it...Looks good for female Oedemera nobilis .

2. Looks like Rhagonycha fulva.

3. Looks good for Strangalia melanura, you may be right about the poss Anthrenus verbasci, i can't really make it out with my eyes.

4. Looks good for Strangalia maculata, now Rutpela maculata.

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi,

so far ok, but not #1. This is Oedemera of the Oedemera-lurida-Komplex. Oedemera lurida or Oedemera virescens.

Regards
Klaas

[tigger]

I've read that Oedemera virescens has only been found in North-east Yorkshire since 1970 - so I'm thinking it's pretty unlikely to be that in Dorset. Which leaves O lurida and O nobilis. Can anyone let me know what the main differences between these two are? Thanks. Jane

[Fauna]

Originally Posted by tigger

I've read that Oedemera virescens has only been found in North-east Yorkshire since 1970 - so I'm thinking it's pretty unlikely to be that in Dorset. Which leaves O lurida and O nobilis. Can anyone let me know what the main differences between these two are? Thanks. Jane

Not sure on the distribution for O. virescens. But here is some info on how to seperate O. nobilis from the other two. Taken from the Watford Coeloptera Group http://www.thewcg.org.uk/

Oedemera nobilis (Scopoli) is generally larger, 8-10mm, with brilliant metallic green or blue colouration which often has distinct red overtones. The elytra taper towards the apex; compare the width of an elytron below the shoulder with the width about 1/5 from apex. Male metafemora strongly dilated, pubescence on metatibiae long and erect.

Oedemera lurida (Marsham) and Oedemera virescens (Linnaeus) are generally smaller than O.nobilis and are a dull sage green in colour. In both species the elytra are only slightly narrowed, towards the apex at least three quarters of the width at the shoulder.

[Klaas Reißmann]

Sorry, but I did not leave O. nobilis, because the one on your picture is no O. nobilis. It is easy to separate O. nobilis from the Oedemera-lurida-complex, because Oedemera nobilis is never this dim dark green, much bigger (compare the small bloom of the Umbelliferae and your beetle). You will never find an O. nobilis this small, and O. nobilis is a bit clumsy in comparison to O.-lurida-complex.

The size of your beetle normally would tell O. lurida, but sometimes O. virescens is very small, too. So, if Oedemera virescens is only found far away from your found you can be sure up to 99,9% that it is O. lurida.

Regards
Klaas

[Fauna]

Forgot to come back to this one...

Sorry but i can't make it any thing other than a female O. nobilis.

I believe it is the right sort of green, best seen on the pronotum...plus the shape of the elytra looks right for O. nobilis.

[Klaas Reißmann]

That means it would have the size of the Blooms, around 5 mm, which is much to small for Oedemera nobilis. The colour irritates me a bit, but I leave it to technical problems.

At least hard to say, but I'm still with Oedemera lurida/virescens.

Regards
Klaas