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Photo#56299
Flower Longhorn beetle?? which one? - Bellamira scalaris

Flower Longhorn beetle?? which one? - Bellamira scalaris
Carlisle, York County, Pennsylvania, USA
July 7, 2005
Size: 2 inches approx.
My friend sent this to me. I have no idea what it is. My best guess it a Flower Longhorn Beetle (genus Strangalia ) It was found last in Central, PA . he gacve no more info than that.

thanks

Jo

PS-the location is just a guess-I'll correct it if necessary-the system wouldn't let me put up the photo without more info.

Definitely Bellamira...
It seems this one caused a lot of consternation and ended up in the wrong gallery under Strangalia. Bellamira is quite variable in coloration, from wholly black as in this specimen, to wholly brown, with many combinations in between. The short head and much stockier body in this specimen distinguish it from Strangalia - for comparison see Photo# 1664415. Also, the size is given as 2" - this sounds a bit large, but even at 1" this would be way larger than Strangalia acuminata. Hope this clarifies this one!

Moved

Bellamira scalaris
This has to be B. scalaris. The eyes take up a much smaller portion of the head than Strangalia acuminata and the pronotum does not look as expanded at the base as S. acuminata's.

There is also a beetle IDed as B. scalaris that is fully black on this site

Moved
Moved from Flower Longhorns.

choice . . .
If choice is only between B.scalaris and S.acuminata, then it is the latter: B.scalaris has brown antennae!

:-)

 
I agree with Boris
Strangalia acuminata (Olivier, 1795)

 
that's nice to know at last -- thanks, Dennis
(i'm trying to learn some basics here about Amer. longhorns & stuff...)

 
may be a dumb question:
in other specimens on the S. acuminata page pronota look more evenly conical, less shiny, and the heads/eyes/necks very diff., too. Are they all indeed the same sp.?

Moved
Moved from Longhorned Beetles.

Bellamira scalaris?
Looks rather like Bellamira scalaris at Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

 
I thought it reminded me more of

 
Comparison Strangalia acuminata
Yes, that looks close as well. Yanega (1) illustrates both. Usually S. acuminata is shown with some orange on elytra, but Yanega says that is variable. Bellamira has a "neck" between the head and pronotum, perhaps visible here--I'm not sure.

Whatever species, this has to be a male, with that expanded abdominal tip.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina