For a forthcoming study it would be advantageous for us to be able to separate males from females of alive individuals of the hop-flea beetle Psylliodes attenuatus. I have gone through some ethanol material but could not find any easily detectable external characteristics to discriminate males from females. Does anyone have experience with this or a tip for me?
Dear Florian,
Accurate identification of Halticinae is not easy. As you know males are generally smaller. Have you tried to examine the male genitalia. Regarding other Halticinae spp., the form of male genitalia help in identification. Certainly, you asked on living individuals. I am sorry, my comment is not a real help.
Dear Dr. Weihrauch, now I have only mounted, dry specimens of P. attenuatus. I examined abdominal sternites: last abdominal sternite in male is evenly, slightly convex, and in female is more convex, swollen apically. I believe, it is possible to look this character in alive beetles through the glass Petri dish under the microscope.
Dear colleagues,
thanks a lot for your input, much appreciated.
Florian
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Zoology
- Invertebrate Zoology
- Entomology