Species ID help!

An area for archived forum posts
Post Reply
hannah
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:58 pm

Species ID help!

Post by hannah »

Dear All,

Please can anyone help ID the attached beetles? We have had lots and lots in our house over the last month or so. Mainly downstairs, and around the fireplace. We have three samples in the office if anyone would like to see! They use to have slightly red shoulders, but that has disappeared as they have died (and been sat in the office for a week or so!)

Thanks in advance for any help

Hannah

P.s - Please excuse the mold on one of them!
Attachments
beetle-4.jpg
beetle-3.jpg
beetle-2.jpg
beetle-1.jpg
SteveMcBill
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:15 am
Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Species ID help!

Post by SteveMcBill »

Hannah

Can you give any dimensions please - length, width ??

Cheers

Steve
DonSten
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: Species ID help!

Post by DonSten »

Hi Hannah
This is the rather ubiquitous Mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. It is quite usual at this time of the year to find the odd one or two in the house, often on the windowsill trying to get out. They fly around in nice weather and come into houses. However, if you have 'lots and lots' that suggests a source of food somewhere in the house. If you had said in the kitchen I would suggest looking for forgotten cereal products etc (hence the name). Mainly downstairs around the chimney suggests a birds nest in the chimney itself or in the attic - pigeon possbly. If you discover a currently used nest, get rid of it as soon as the birds have gone. A lot of pest species in the wild use nests and feed on droppings, feathers, skin scales etc (yum yum). I have known people to have infestations in a bedroom caused by pests coming from the attic through a crack in the ceiling.

Cheers
Don
hannah
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:58 pm

Re: Species ID help!

Post by hannah »

Thanks very much for your help Don. My Mum thought something might have fallen down our chimney and died, behind the gas fireplace.

Thanks again for your help, my Mum will be chuffed they have been identified!!

Hannah :D
DonSten
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: Species ID help!

Post by DonSten »

Hi Hannah

I tried to post a reply to this a few days ago, but after typing a long message, my connection went just as I was going to send it :evil:
Tell your mum not to worry about them, they are fairly harmless. It is quite normal this time of year to find one or two in the house - they fly about in warm weather and come in through windows etc. It is a bit odd that you have been finding a lot for some time, and I think it may be worth looking in the loft (if you haven't done so). If for example pigeons got in, because they breed several times in a year, that might lead to a more long term problem.
I get a lot of pest enquiries and some can be a bit tricky to figure out!

cheers
Don
hannah
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:58 pm

Re: Species ID help!

Post by hannah »

Thank you very much for your help on the Mealworm Beetle Don.

I now have another Beetle to pick your brains with! It was sent to me this morning - quite a few were found in a garden.

Thanks

Hannah
Attachments
Bug.jpg
SteveMcBill
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:15 am
Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Species ID help!

Post by SteveMcBill »

Hi Hannah,

Were these found in Cheshire ??

It is a Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata). I have caught this species in Wales (West Wales - Harlech area and South Wales - Pembrokeshire) but never in Cheshire.

All the data we have for this animal on the rECOrd database come from Wales (mainly Anglesey).

This is a good record if it is in our area. See over at: http://www.arkive.org/rose-chafer/cetonia-aurata/

Steve :)
hannah
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:58 pm

Re: Species ID help!

Post by hannah »

Sadly No. It was found in Bristol.

Thanks for the ID.

Hannah
Tom
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: Species ID help!

Post by Tom »

This photograph was taken at the Bioblitz. If we can get an id, then it might be another species to add to the list.
Attachments
Beetle.jpg
Tom Hunt, Record Enquiries Officer
SteveMcBill
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:15 am
Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Species ID help!

Post by SteveMcBill »

Tom,

It looks a little like Oulema melanopa but sadly this was split a few years ago so there is a 'confusion' species which means that photos are of little use. Are there any other dorsal photos ?

Best to ask Don I think.

Cheers

Steve
DonSten
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: Species ID help!

Post by DonSten »

Tom,

Steve is spot on with the genus and problem with ID - Oulema melanopus was split a few years ago and as the other species Oulema rufocyanea is virtually identical they are difficult to tell apart without dissection. If you had the specimen I could tell you what it is, but in lieu of that I think you are best recording it as Oulema melanopus s.l. or less properly Oulema rufocyanea/melanopus agg.

I have found both species on the same day in the same place!

I think I may have spotted characters enabling field ID of these, but need to check it out properly :)

Cheers
Don

Tom
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: Species ID help!

Post by Tom »

Unfortunately not on both counts (specimen and photo). As is often the case with these critters, it was particularly mobile and that was the only decent shot I could get at the time. However, as Don has recorded both species then we've got it covered anyway, which is great news.

Thanks,

Tom

Tom Hunt, Record Enquiries Officer
Post Reply