Oil Beetle - Meloe niger

Moved tentatively; will seek confirmation

that dorsal shot is wonderful!

Moved from Oil Beetles.

… v belov, 20 May, 2013 - 3:46pm

Thanks for the ID!

… Adrian Thysse, 20 May, 2013 - 4:36pm

John D. Pinto's opinion:

"Tough to get this one to species from photos. Knowing length from occiput to end of elytra would help. In any case, most likely possibilities are M. niger and M. exiguus. M. exiguus is a relatively small species, usually considerably smaller than M. niger."

well, needless to say, i would love this one to turn out M. exiguus, of which we have zero images in the guide yet... any chance you could accurately measure the coveted distance, Adrian? =v=

… v belov, 21 May, 2013 - 11:38am

I'm afraid not. I have looked

I'm afraid not. I have looked through all the images I took that day and there is nothing I can use to determine the scale/magnification.I should be going back to that area this week and I'll try some measurements.

… Adrian Thysse, 21 May, 2013 - 4:34pm

that would be wonderful

maybe you'll be able to collect voucher specimens, too.
something tells me the beetle is not a large one, but it may well be wishful thinking

… v belov, 21 May, 2013 - 4:36pm

Moved & cropped for expert attention; great shot!

Moved from ID Request.

very nice beetle --will show around.
please keep in mind that only you and the editors are able to see images full-size

… v belov, 20 May, 2013 - 12:05pm

That's good to know. Do you n

That's good to know. Do you need full size for this image?

… Adrian Thysse, 20 May, 2013 - 12:11pm

Meloe are tough to ID to species...

...so subtle details of the pronotal shape & surface texture, as well as seeing well the modified part of the male antenna are always more than welcome; also, a straight dorsal [vs oblique] view of the pronotum helps a lot and may make all the difference between guesswork and a confident ID.
BG can handle images up to 3072x3072, so uploading a higher-res version, if any, is a good idea.
and thanks for sharing your fine work, Adrian!

… v belov, 20 May, 2013 - 12:18pm