Can anyone help me identify these insects in the following photos?

Dear Hanno,

Your first image shows a socalled "Wespenbock" or 'Echter Widderbock' (Clytus arietis)

The second image shows a "Marienkäferlarve" a larva of a ladybeetle.

The third one shows a "Ameisenkäfer" (Thanasimus Formicarius).

The fourth image shows a "Rüsselkäfer" (I try to find out the species).

The fifth image shows a land bug "Landwanze" ( I try to find out the species).

I like your question very much because I was once a beetle collector.

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Guenter,

Thanks for the prompt response. The animals are so small, that I often just overlooked them. The "Landwanze" showed such a strange behaviour that I presume its a female looking for ovipositions.

The last image is a "Baumwanze" during the ovipostion at the wrong place. The only animal I knew by name.

OK some more work for the specialist.

Dear Hanno,

I have got the other two species:

The Rüsselkäfer is the "Kleiner Schwarzer Rüsselkäfer" (Otiorhynchus ovatus),

and the "Landwanze" is a 'Birkenwanze' Kleidocerys resedae (Panzer, 1797).

Continued success with your new camera!

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Guenter,

I see I´ve missed a special resort during my natural science life. Fascinating world and incredible colors and shapes.

Nitish Ranjan

Till now I used to call all of them as "beetle" only. Good to know more about it.

Thanks Hanno for your question and Guenter for your answer.

Regards,

Nitish

Dear Hanno,

The second one belongs to the socalled "Schmalböcke" (Bockkäfer), Unterfamilie Lepturinae.

The third one is a "Braunwurz Blütenkäfer" (Anthrenus cf. scrophulariae).

The fourth one is a "Graue Gartenwanze" (Raphigaster nebulosa).

I try to find out the first one.

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Hanno,

This time it is a beetle, a species of the family of "Kurzflügler, Raubkäfer" (predatory beetle), the Staphylinidae, described around 2000 species in central Europe. The determination of the species of this family is extremely difficult and often succeeds only by examining the genitals. That's why I can not make more accurate indication.

Please look at the homepage of 'Kerbtier.de' under 'Fotoübersicht der Staphylinidae' (Kurzflügler ). There you can admire the species diversity.

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Hanno,

This is a gorgeous photo. It shows two "Pimpinella flower beetle" "Bibernellen-Blütenkäfer" (Anthrenus pimpinellae).

I think with the color plates of 'Kerbtier.de' You have wonderful opportunities for comparison.

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Hanno,

The insects are as follow here: Clytus arietis, Harmonia axyridis larva, ant beetle (Thanasimus formicarius, it feeds on bark beetles), a curculionid beetle (an Otiorhynchus sp.? this may be a pest), I do not know the heteroptera.

Dear Hanno,

Günther is right, the lonely beetle must be a staphylinid beetle. Staphylinids are common in Europe and prefer the soil level. They are well-known predators.

Dear Hanno,

Regarding your second series, Günther identifications are OK. As to the first insect, it is similar to a bruchid (Bruchidae). Yes, it is Bruchus incurvatus.

Dear András,

Many thanks for the identification of the Bruchus. In this way, an old dog learns a lot more.

It's a really nice one!

Best regards,

Guenter

Chun Liu

Dear all

Who is this one ? I think this one is termite queen. After rain, she crawls out from her old family house, and fly to a new place and drops her 4 wings, and then she backs to soil and becomes a queen of a new family.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite

Dear Chun Liu,

indeed this resembles a little bit a queen, but because I took this snap yesterday in Bavaria Germany it´s not very probable.

Dear all,

I found this nice picture from yellow jackets during nest-building at my home. I don´t know the exact name.

And the second picture was taken yesterday on a bath room mirror, the size of this fly(?) was about 1.5 - 2 mm only.

Dear Hanno,

I think the species name of these yellow jackets is 'Polistes dominulus', a species of the "Feldwespen". It's a very nice picture!

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Guenter, dear all,

I had the chance to follow the already shown larva during the pupation process. Here are the photos from this morning. For orientation I attend the larva picture.

Chun Liu

Dear Hanno Krieger

Who is this one? If the one run quikly, it is cockroach. If the one run slowly or doesn’t run, it is termite queen,

Good tip dear Chun Liu, but of course I only have estimates. All insects except the yellow jackets and the land bug were in the 1-3 mm region for length, the photos are macro option takes. As for the beatle above I repeat Guenters statement from page 2

"This time it is a beetle, a species of the family of "Kurzflügler, Raubkäfer" (predatory beetle), the Staphylinidae, described around 2000 species in central Europe. The determination of the species of this family is extremely difficult and often succeeds only by examining the genitals."

Dear Günther,

Yes, it must be P. dominula which is quite similar to Polistes gallicus but the clypeus of the later is without black spots.

Erik Maronde

Dear Hanno, dear all,

since this (put insect/arthropod photos in and get the species determined) appears to be an active and successful effort, why not opening a "citizen science" forum in RG, where people can put in photos, observations, whatever of value to both interested laymen and specialists?

Just an idea,

best, Erik

Good idea dear Erik,

please start with your proposal and try to manage it. This would be a chance to participate in knowledges our collegues.

Chun Liu

Dear all

Who is this one? From the tail, I think it is cockroach.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_cockroach

Dear Chun Liu,

I´m not sure, because I see a difference of the "who" to a cockroach, that´s the very tiny abdomen. So far as I have learned, blatta show rounder shapes. Please correct my statement.

Dear Guenter,

because of the not ending discussion about the Staphylinidae (photo on page 2) to be a Staphylinidae or a cockroach I submitted this snap and a further photo to "Kerbtier.de". I´m waiting for the email response and will give the info here in this circle.

Dear Hanno,

The interpretation as a 'cockroach' is definitely wrong.

Trust András, he is the real expert.

However, let's wait what 'Kerbtier.de' says.

Dear András,

thanks. I always thougt, propyleae are red with black and/or white points. The shape is very typical even for a layman. Wonderful "Lady"!

Tsedeke Abate

I guess photo #s 1 and 3 belong to the beetle family of Meloidae (flower beetles); it's always difficult to identify an insect from a photo.

The insect in photo #2 looks (if it is a larva) like the larva of a ladybird beetle. If that is so, this group of insects are predators on other, harmful insects - largely used in natural biological control.

Photo#4 is a dung beetle (Carabidae). Dung beetles are not pests.

Photo #5 appears to be a predatory bug (genus Orius, Order Hemiptera). Orius spp. are predatory on insect pests and are useful in natural biological control.

Romain GARROUSTE

hi,

N°1 is a Clytus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)

N)2 is a ladybird larvae, probably Harmonia axyridis

N°3 is a coleoptera (Cleridae)

N°4 is a coleeoptera (Curculionidae or allies)

N°5 is a Hemiptera Heteroptera

best regards RG

Thanks, dear Tsedeke,

I regret that I cannot mail you the beatles personally. But your identifications are convincing. ;-))

Irina Mikhailovna Pechonkina

Dear All,

Certainly, Günther is right. The cockroaches belong to the order Blattodea, the staphylinids to the order Coleoptera. The difference between them is considerable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blattodea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rove_beetle

Dear Hanno,

My friend- Ph.D in Biology Andrey N.Timopheev defines the next 1. Клит изменчивый - Chlorophorus varius;

2.Личинка семейства Кокцинелид - Сoccinellidae;

3. Муравьежук обыкновенный - Thanasimus formicarius;

4.Скосарь - Otiorhynchus tristis;

5. Хищники-крошки - Anthocoridae

Irina Mikhailovna Pechonkina

Dear Irina,

thanks for the post. I agree with all but I don´t understand by language no. 2. And I would need a little bit more infos to 5. Thanks again and best regards to your friend Andrey.

Dear Hanno,

Thank you. Andrey is very, very glad. i. Clytus, wasp beetle, veranderilich, 2. Larva of the family of Koktsinellid, ladybirds, Marienkafer,3. ant beetle, Kleiner Ameisenkafer 4.scarred snout beetle, 5.anthocorid , Blutenwanzen (Sorry, without umlaut)

Dear All,

The cerambycid is Clytus arietis as Günther already mentioned and not Chlorophorus varius.

The Otiorhycus sp. is difficult to identify because one cannot see the femurs but it is not Otiorhynchus tristis. The bug is Kleidocerys resedae and not an anthocorid.

Dear Hanno,

Thanks for the new photos but I am not able to see the proximal part of the first femurs. Could you provide me some data on the size of this beetle? 4-5 mm or 6-9 mm?

Dear András, definitely the smaller one, my estimate is 4 mm, just a little bit bigger than an ant with an estimated length smaller than 3 mm. I attach the ant picture, so you can find a measure compairing the wall´s grain.

Dear Hanno,

Now, I can see that the RG programme does not work perfectly. Last and present weeks I have had difficulties to send my answers. As I could see also you have had to repeat the sending.

Dear András,

could you view my pictures? In my screen a part of my pictures disapeared and are shown just as symbols without content.

Thanks Simone for your answer. Could you please explain why you collect this beetle from cotton, is it regarded as pest? My information is it´s a predator.

Dear Hanno,

Yes, the new photos have disappeared but I could look at them before. Regarding the size, the identification of Guenter was right, it must be O. ovatus.

Dear Krieger,

I would like to add my opinion on photos taken by you in order to contribute to the identification of the insects, as far as I am able to help you. As the photos posted by you in different messages are many, I prefer to send my answers with more than one message, for clarity.

Your first question (4 photos):

1) Coleoptera Cerambycidae (long-horned beetles): Clytus sp. (cfr Clytus arietis; in Europe there are some other species congeneric and rather similar).

2) Coleoptera Coccinellidae (lady-bird beetles) (?), larva (the photo is not optimal for a clear identification).

3) Coleoptera Cleridae (checkered beetles): Thanasimus sp. (cfr Thanasimus formicarius, one of the two species of this genus which are present in Europe).

4) Coleoptera Curculionidae (snout beetles). A family extremely rich in genera and species.

5) Hemiptera Lygaeidae (seed bugs): Kleydoceris sp. (the species K. resedae is often very common on birch trees).

Your second question (1 photo):

Coleoptera Staphilinidae (rove beetles). A family extremely rich in genera and species.

Best regards,

Rinaldo Nicoli

Dear Krieger,

your third question (4 photos):

1) Coleoptera Bruchidae (seed beetles): gen. Bruchus.

2) Coleoptera Oedemeridae (false blister beetles). These beetles resemble some small long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) and are to be found often on flowers, as well as many Cerambycidae (e.g. Lepturini). The quality of the photo does'nt permit to identify the family Oedemeridae with absolute certainty, but some characters, particularly in the legs and elytra, in my opinion are indicative for this family rather than Cerambycidae. Oedemeridae and Cerambicydae are not closely related among Coleoptera.

3) Coleoptera Dermestidae (skin beetles): Anthrenus sp. (cfr A. verbasci).

4) Hemiptera Pentatomidae (stink bugs): maybe, but in my opinion not surely, Raphigaster nebulosa.

Your fourth question (1 photo):

Coleoptera Dermestidae (skin beetles): Anthrenus sp. (cfr A. pimpinellae).

Best regards,

Rinaldo Nicoli

Simone C. Heimoana

Hi Hanno,

part of our work involves the testing of new and softer chemicals and we consider effects on both pests and beneficials. Our sampling strategies include leaf washes (to capture thrips, aphids, mites, whitefly), beat sheets (quick moving Hemiptera such as mirids ), suction sampling (for anything that flies or clings in the canopy) and visual assessment (for Helicoverpa). We find most Staphylinids in suction samples and class them as beneficials.

Best regards,

Simone

Dear Krieger,

other your questions; a message with two photos:

1) Hymenoptera Vespidae (yellow jackets): Polistes sp. (maybe P. dominulus, but I am not sure on the species).

2) Neuroptera Coniopterygidae (dusty-wings): the photo doesn't permit to identify with certainty the genus (maybe Conwentzia) of the 'fly' in your picture. For the identification up to genus level it is necessary to examine shape and size of forewings and hindwings and their venation, for species level the examination of the genitalia is necessary. Coniopterygidae is a very small and aberrant family of Neuroptera; their wing venation is very simple if compared with other families of this order ('lace-wings'), and their body, antennae, legs and wings are completely covered with a whitish wax powder (like Aleyrodidae among Homoptera). Dusty wings live in open environments on trees and other vegetation, but - as well as many other families of Neuroptera - they are attracted during evening and night by artificial light sources, so they sometimes enter into rooms.

Further message, with 3 photos: Coleoptera Coccinellidae (lady-bird beetles): larva, pupation and pupa of Harmonia axyridis (commonly called 'multicolored Asian lady beetle', for its great variability in color and number of points, and for its Chinese origin). It is an alien species introduced into Europe for biological control purposes primarily in greenhouses, but then it 'escaped' and now is largely widespread in open environments.

Another message: Coleoptera Coccinellidae (lady-bird beetles): Propylea quatuordecimpunctata; as many other lady-birds, this is an insect relatively variable in colouring: there are specimens with a prevalent pale-yellow colouring with several and small black spots, and specimens which are mostly black with yellow points; various other intermediate forms are also possible.

I examined with interest also the photos posted in his message by Muhammad Alideh: the photos 2,5,6,8, regard spiders (Araneae), a field out of my range of interest. The beetle (Coleoptera) in the picture 1 (the photo is not very clear) belongs possibly to the family Cantharidae (soldier beetles, vaguely resembling long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae)); two pictures illustrate a vespid (Hymenoptera Vespidae) or yellow jacket (genus Polistes), the butterfly (Lepidoptera) in another picture is the nymphalid (Nymphalidae) Vanessa atalanta; the beetles in the second last picture are lady-birds (Coccinellidae, maybe Coccinella septempunctata).

Best regards,

Rinaldo Nicoli

Dear All,

Regarding Rinaldo’s comment on Muhammed Aldeh’s photos, I agree with them. The soldier beetle is difficult to clearly identify because of the poor quality and the Polistes sp. cannot be suitably observed. Coccinella septempunctata and Vanessa atalanta were easy to recognise. However, the identification of spiders needs a specialist.

Coming back to the second series of pictures Hanno presented, the Polistes dominula was a cool job but the other photo was much more difficult to identify. Rinaldo said, it might belong to Coniopterygidae. It might be but I have no suitable key but an old one written by Séméria which is not proper for this job. By the way, I know Coniopterygidae not even superficially.

Thanks to Andràs for his comments on my identifications. I am studying Neuroptera for many years, and I am sure that the insect in the photo is a dusty-wing (Coniopterygidae) (if considering size, shape, wing venation, an so on). In my opinion. the genus Conwentzia is the most suitable, among European genera, both for the relatively triangular shape of forewing (instead of more rounded, as commonly in genera Semidalis and Coniopteryx, for instance), and for the possibility to recognize the abdomen, glimpsed through the wings: in fact, Conwentzia species (C. psociformis and C. pineticola) have hindwings extremely reduced, so their presence under forewings, in resting position, doesn't prevent the abdomen from being seen through the semi-transparent forewing. Other photos of Conwentzia showing similar characteristics are to be found in internet.

Best regards,

Rinaldo

Dear Rinaldo,

I believe in your identification. As I have put it, this family is an unknown area for me. Regarding Neuroptera, I have dealt with the families Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae. Could you suggest me an available identification key for Coniopterygidae?

Dear Andras,

A recent and valid key for dustywings, for the entire world, is provided by Gyorgy Sziraki (2011) in his book: "G. Sziraky, Coniopterygidae of the world. Annotated check-list and identification keys for living species, species groups and supraspecific taxa of the family. Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbruecken, vI-249 pp.". Otherwise, there all the less recent works by Meinander, the monograph of European Neuropterida (1980) by Aspoecks and Hoelzel...

Rinaldo

Dear Rinaldo,

Many thanks for the information. Of course, I have known the Aspöck and Hoelzel book but it is impossible to buy it at our university. The situation is the same also with that of György Sziráki.

As Aristotle said: Things are as they are.

Dear Andras,

another book, less expensive but more elementary, with keys for the main European genera of Coniopterygidae (and other Neuropterida families), is: Y.Séméria & L. Berland, 1988, Névroptères de France et d'Europe. Atlas d'Entomologie. Boubée, Paris, 190 pp.

If you need bibliographic material on this family I can help you by sending something by post or e-mail (my e-mail: [email protected]).

That's absolutely true! Some books, particularly the excellent works by H. and U. Aspoeck (and by their co-authors) on Neuropterida of Europe and on Raphidioptera of the world, are very, very expensive!

Best regards,

Rinaldo

Dear Hanno,

I am not lepidopterist but it seems that you have found the right name of the shown

hawkmoth. Congratulation.

Dear Krieger,

the moth in your newest photos is surely - in my opinion - the sphingid Macroglossum stellatarum, the only species present in Europe for this genus. I therefore agree with your identification.

Best regards,

Rinaldo Nicoli

Der Rinaldo,

thanks for your answer. I just had a look at the biformed tail. That was the reson for my idea. But I have a question, I´ve learned that about 40 sphingidae are known in Europe. Do you have a comment?

Dear Hanno,

In Hungary 20 species of 15 genera of Sphingidae have been observed. We teach 10 species with some agricultural importance in agricultural entomology. However, their significance is mostly slight. The 40 species may be characteristic for the Mediterranean areas.

Dear András,

20 in Germany too. I found this http with a lot of details about sphingidae. I´m fascinated how my learning process has started even if I´m really no lepidopterist or entomologist.

http://www.peppix.de/schwaermer.html

Dear Hanno,

here are my comments. As regards the identification of Macroglossum stellatarum among European species by means of your photos, it is easy - in my opinion - by observing helpful characters such as body and wing shape and colouring, which are different from all other European species of the family Sphingidae.

M. stellatarum (one of the smallest European hawkmoths) is probably the most common sphingid in Europe. The adults of this species are principally day-fliers (as well as some other species of the same family), so they can be observed very easily during feeding activity on flowers. M. stellatarum is not a pest, because its larvae live on spontaneous plants.

The family Sphingidae comprises undoubtedly very fascinating insects, and not only for lepidopterists, for many reasons: often large or very large size; sometimes bright colours, particularly on hindwings and abdomen, associated with criptic colours on head, thorax and forewings; aerodynamic shape; strong fly with a very rapid wing beat; ability of some species to migrate; in many species very long proboscis (sometimes as long as body or longer), which allows them to suck nectar hovering near flowers (particularly flowers with long and thin calix), without settling (as do hummingbirds); shape, size and colouring of their larvae (hornworms); other interesting behaviours of both larvae and adults; and so on.

In Italy approx. 25 species of hawkmoths are to be found. One of the most characteristic and renowned is the death's head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos), a migrant species interesting under various - both basic and applied - points of view: ethology, sound production, agriculture (as possible crop (Solanaceae) pest), beekeeping (the adults being attracted by honey), etc.

Rinaldo

Erik Maronde

Is this a "true bug" (Hemiptera) and if so, which one?

I made the photo in our garden (North of Hannover) this June (2015)

on a hazlenut bush.

Thanks a lot, Erik

Thanks Rinaldo! To all the other admirers of his skills, I try to make a better photo, but this bug is very shy and fast...

Yes, this is a true bug (Hemiptera Heteroptera), It belongs to the family Miridae (leaf bugs, plant bugs) and probably to the genus Heterotoma. Regards,

Rinaldo Nicoli

Dear Rinaldo,

You must have eyes of a Lynx because I have not been able to recognise this bug at least at family level. I cannot see either the cuneus or the lack of oculi simpliciti which are characteristic for Miridae.

Dear Andras,

if you click on the photo for its magnification, you can glimpse, on the left side of the insect, the cuneus. Oculi simplices are really not recognizable in the photo, but this is a very characteristic insect for the combination of some characters: dimension, shape and colour of the body and forewings (hemielytra), colour of the legs, and particularly colour and shape of the antennae (second antennomere enlarged and flattened). So, in this case I think it is possible to identify firstly the genus and then, as consequence, the family. Furthermore, also during this month I observed this bug on hazelnuts near my University... The species? No, I think that even the eyes of a Lynx could not permit to identify this species on the basis of a photo, without microscopic preparations... Three or four species of the genus Heterotoma are to be found in Italy; I don't know the number of central-European species of this genus,

Rinaldo

Dear Rinaldo,

Of course, I have magnified the photo but I was able to see only an uncertain structure at the end of wings. I am on holiday and I have at home only the volumes of Stresemann’s Excursionsfauna, a very simple and brief book on European animals. Regarding the keys presented in this book, the recognition of this insect according to the showed picture may be an enchantment. Congratulations.

Dear All,

I do not know the reason but RG does not operate fine: when sending an answer I have to repeat several times the clicking and does not happen visibly anything. However, the invisible operation is uncontrollable and often after a long delay 2-3 answers appear and one has to delete the unnecessary copies. I have written to the RG editors but in vain.