Melobasis sp. ? > Stigmodera - pictures added

[AndrewC]

I think this is some kind of Melobasis , perhaps our Antipodean friends can ID it ? All I know is that it originated near Perth, Australia.
body size is about 15mm.

ID: corrected to Stigmodera

Couple of issues with this specimen:

1) I'm not sure if it has a hairy ventral aspect or is that fungus ? i'm inclined to think that it is fungus in which case any ideas on how to clean it off ? Wipe with acetone ?

2) Seems to have lost a few segments from one antenna

3) You can see the lens but without a half silvered mirror I don't know a way around that

Anyways, pretty colourful beasty !



Reversed El-Nik 50mm @ f8
16 x 819um stack, ZS
Diffused Nikon flash

A few extra images:

A dorsal view:



higher mag on the head from above:



Higher mag still profile:

[Planapo]

Andrew, From what I see, to me it doesn't look like fungal growth on the ventral side of your beetle. There are a lot of beetles and other insects whose normal ventral pilosity looks similar to this.
A closer inspection under higher magnification and probing with a pair of tweezers could give you some reassurance: If you grab the beetle by a bunch of its hairs and lift it up, I would expect fugal material to break off whereas the beetle's real hair should withstand the pulling force.

--Betty

[AndrewC]

Andrew, From what I see, to me it doesn't look like fungal growth on the ventral side of your beetle. There are a lot of beetles and other insects whose normal ventral pilosity looks similar to this.
A closer inspection under higher magnification and probing with a pair of tweezers could give you some reassurance: If you grab the beetle by a bunch of its hairs and lift it up, I would expect fugal material to break off whereas the beetle's real hair should withstand the pulling force.

--Betty

I'd already given some good tugs this morning and they stayed firmly attached. I'll shoot some higher mag ventrals later and then you can give ne your considered opinion

Andrew

[The BAT]

Hi Andrew,
I've seen bugs like that before, over here, in my travels and they definately had hairy bellies. . .
HTH,
Bruce

[AndrewC]

Hi Andrew,
I've seen bugs like that before, over here, in my travels and they definately had hairy bellies. . .
HTH,
Bruce

Done deal - officially renamed as a "hairy_bellied_red_eyed_greeny_bluey_Ozzie_bug"

[rovebeetle]

I think this is some kind of Melobasis

That is one of the countless species of the genus Stigmodera.

1) I'm not sure if it has a hairy ventral aspect or is that fungus ? i'm inclined to think that it is fungus in which case any ideas on how to clean it off ? Wipe with acetone ?

Betty is correct - the ventral pilosity is normal.

2) Seems to have lost a few segments from one antenna

Yes there are a few antennomeres missing.

Anyways, pretty colourful beasty !

Agreed - but also perfectly captured.

Cheers

[AndrewC]

Stigmodera because of the dimples in the elytra and general body shape ?

Andrew

[Aynia]

Third photo from the top is really great. It would be better if you cropped it a little bit. keeping the top bit.

[The BAT]

Hi Andrew,
Pic #5 just became my favorite. . . beautiful pic of a great little Ozzie Bug.
Bruce

[AndrewC]

Aynia / Bruce: thanks

This beetle is a great subject - so many compositions possible !

Aynia - I chose that crop because I like the back texture against the smooth head but it still isn't perfect and I will probably experiment some more

Andrew

[rovebeetle]

Stigmodera because of the dimples in the elytra and general body shape ?

Andrew

Well, the generic characters are others (more cryptic ones) and I do not know them right now, but the pit-like elytral punctation usually is an unmistakable feature of many species of that genus. Melobasis never have this, also they are flatter. BTW - Melobasis is at least as speciose as Stigmodera.

Due to the additional images I am pretty sure that it is Stigmodera gratiosa.

I wonder if they look like that when found in nature. That metallic sheen is almost unnatural but very spectacular.

Cheers

[AndrewC]

Last one of this beauty. Two things grabbed my attention about this subject - the surface texture and the metallic colours.

To show the surface textures I ran an even deeper head profile to extend down onto the elytra.

The colours - agonising These metallic interference colours can be taxing. I tried many kinds of diffusion and exposure and the best I've come up with is an HDR version. You have to take my word that this colour range isn't an HDR psychedelic drug rendering, it is as close as I can get to match what I see through a stereo scope. Of course if you rotate the subject the colours shift between blues and greens.

Anyway, that's this weekend's project finished

[elf]

Last one of this beauty. Two things grabbed my attention about this subject - the surface texture and the metallic colours.

To show the surface textures I ran an even deeper head profile to extend down onto the elytra.

The colours - agonising These metallic interference colours can be taxing. I tried many kinds of diffusion and exposure and the best I've come up with is an HDR version. You have to take my word that this colour range isn't an HDR psychedelic drug rendering, it is as close as I can get to match what I see through a stereo scope. Of course if you rotate the subject the colours shift between blues and greens.

Anyway, that's this weekend's project finished

This looks like February's front page

[Charles Krebs]

All great, but this last addition is spectacular!

[LordV]

Wonderful subject and shots but as commented above the last addition is superb.
Brian v.