Forum Entomologi Italiani

Found dead. I don't think this one is M. violaceus (?). Is it possibly M. proscarabeus female
Thanks.

it's female of Meloe (Meloe) violaceus marsham, 1802 for me but curiously Faunaeur show it absent in Luxembourg but present all around. Can you take a macrophoto of the part between thorax and elitra?
Giorgio.

Thanks Giorgio. I will take some more pictures by Oct. 20 (not possible before), and share with you.

Giorgio, all,
Here are a little bit better pictures of the specimen presented (found in South-West Luxembourg, 2 km from the french border), as well as another specimen from Lorraine in France to compare (I think this 2nd one is clearly a M. violaceus, right ?).
Thank you in advance for your comments and hopefully possible conclusion.

The second one, for me, could be (photo is not so clear) a male of Meloe autumnalis Olivier, because of the shape of posterior part of pronotum, the fine sculpture of elitra and the shape of antenna: the first one is probably a female of M. violaceus Marsham but without the required detail of the part between thorax and elitra I can't be sure about it or M. proscarabaeus L.; violaceus shows a mesonotum normally emerging as a conic little part under the back side of pronotum, just at the confluence of elitra. If not so it's female of proscarabaeus.

In my opinion, the first one (from Luxembourg) is a female of Meloe proscarabaeus.

I am not sure for the second one; probably Giorgio is right, but I would like to see a better photo.

_________________
Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Thanks, Giorgio and Maurizio.
Again, sorry for the bad quality of pictures. I will definitely try to provide you some better ones (likely in December), but it is not easy as my collection is not at my home, and the light was not that good in October ...
Just an additional question: M. autumnalis sounds like autumn/fall, while I caught this 2nd one in spring (April 23rd). Is that still possible ?

Yes, usually it's a species found in autumn, but it's possible also in other seasons.

_________________
Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

The first specimen from Luxembourg is Meloe (Meloe) proscarabaeus; the second one is Meloe (Meloe) violaceus. Check the base of pronotum, depressed and the shape of mesonotum, prolonged posteriorly.
Marco Bologna