Water Boatman wing (Hemiptera: Corixidae)

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:09 pm

EDIT: Title changed from "What am I"

Clue: insect

NU09195

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:55 am

Surely it has to be a beetle? But I have no idea beyond that, and I could be wrong on that!

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:56 pm

Yeah, I was thinking tiger beetle of some type but I didn't chime in since I haven't been doing too well in the ID department lately

rovebeetle · Post by **rovebeetle** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:28 pm

Hm, this rather reminds me of some tropical Cetonid. Also, the suture looks like the elytra can't be opened which would be characteristic for rose chafers .I have seen some neotropical species with such a color pattern. But such detail shots can be really tricky.

Cheers

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:34 pm

My first thought is one of the longhorned woodborers, Cerambycidae. But I've never seen one with a pattern quite this fine.

It's an interesting picture, though. Look at how the fine pattern of ridges and furrows perfectly follows the light and dark pigmentation. More likely the other way around, of course.

--Rik

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:53 am

A local species, retrieved from spider web; insect disperses (migrates?) at night.

NU09196

Peter M. Macdonald · Post by **Peter M. Macdonald** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:25 am

Looks like the fold in the front wing of a true bug (Hemiptera). But after that...

rovebeetle · Post by **rovebeetle** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:05 am

That first FOV was really tricky

I also think now that this is some kind of Hemip, either true bug or some small cicada, but who knows what tricks NU is still to play at us

.

Cheers

missgecko · Post by **missgecko** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:43 pm

I literally have no idea at all, but could you be a Longicorn Beetle?

Cheers

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:27 am

If there was a prize, which there isn't, it would go to Peter.
No more tricks Harry; until next time.

Oh yes, it's the forewing of a Water Boatman (Hemiptera: Corixidae).
Wing length: 9.5mm
Don't have an image of the intact bug as it was pretty much disarticulated in the spider's web but it was very similar to the Arctocorixa
HERE

NU09198

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:09 am

Ahhh... that pattern had triggered a few neurons buried deep in my head somewhere, but sure could not remember where I had seen it.

BTW... their legs are an amazing subject as well.

Peter M. Macdonald · Post by **Peter M. Macdonald** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:07 pm

Do the Corixidae in North America have the same feature which most of ours are supposed to have of being darker winged the further north that you find them? Most of the Corixids up here in Scotland are quite dark. Apparently, most of them are much paler in the South of England.

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:46 am

Peter: Sorry, I have no idea.
Could the darkening be due to peaty water up north and predation pressure?

Peter M. Macdonald · Post by **Peter M. Macdonald** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:06 am

NU,

Nice idea, but probably not correct, i'm afriad. Also applies in crystal clear lowland pools in central Scotland. You do not really find our commonest Corixid - Corixa punctata in peaty pools with dark water. It seems to be found through most clean ponds and small lakes in the UK, witha clinal darkening as you go norht. Probably a smaller range of aquatic predators up here than further south. We have fewer Odonates, both in terms of species and in terms of numbers than in the south of England. Many of the large Dytiscid beetles do not get ths far north, including the largest of them.

Regards,

Peter