Species identification thread (real animals)

[Gwangi]

You're right that it's a lizard, that much is certain. I don't know what exact species it is, it looks like Iberolacerta horvathi but there are a few species in that region that look similar. I'm no expert on European lizards.

[Arctinus]

You're right that it's a lizard, that much is certain. I don't know what exact species it is, it looks like Iberolacerta horvathi but there are a few species in that region that look similar. I'm no expert on European lizards.

Thanks, I've expected as much (it being a lizard). But you're right. There are quite a few species that are similar and it's really hard to tell because the photos aren't that good (plus I'm no lizard expert either). 

[Advicot]

I would agree 100% with Gwangi on his species thought 

[Arctinus]

I would agree 100% with Gwangi on his species thought 

Thanks! 

[Isidro]

I think I still didn't asked for an ID in this thread, despite having many unidentified photos. So time for start:

First, two species of amblypygians, both exposed as König Museum (Bonn, Germany) and without locality data. First one was identified as Heterophrynus sp. but still I miss the specific level.



Second, a Tetragnatha sp. from Shangri-La thematic park in Guilin, southern China, close by the river Shi Wai Tao Yuan.



And third, another Tetragnatha, looking like with a distinctive pattern. This one from Bronx botanical garden, New York (Blaine?)

[Isidro]

As expectable, no much success with the arachnids above. Let's try with more specimens for ID:

Spincturnicid mite in common vesper bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) in Eastern Pyrenees, Spain. Genus, species?


Uroobovella sp. Parasites of palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). Spain. Species?


Harvestmen in the Great Wall, Pekin, China. Family, genus, species?


Oribatid mites congregating in winter under a stone, NE Spain. Family, genus, species? The legs of an earwig Nala lividipes are seen in the bottom of the photo, and can be useful for size comparison.

[Isidro]

Next try: erythraeid mites. I don't expect any success, especially after having consulted some mite experts that reached just to genus level, but... let's try.

Balaustium sp. Covering densely every flower in spring at Javalambre mountain, NE Spain. I contacted the descriptor of a new species of Balaustium found in greenhouses, but I didn't reach species level for mine.


Charletonia sp. In larval form I think. Parasites of the grasshopper Podisma pedestris in Pyrenees mountains, Spain.


Curteria sp. (I have more photos if needed). Especially interested on this one. It's the only iridescent mite I've seen ever. Habitat at dry gypsy steppes in NE Spain. Walking at full sun in a powdery path on a hot day.


Erythraeus sp. Long-legged critter under a stone in a lowland riverine forest in NE Spain.


Leptus sp. Again larval form? Parasiting the harvestmen Odiellus troguloides in Pyrenees mountains.

[Lanthanotus]

Well, I have to pass on all of these... I hope you find a dedicated whateverthewordisforsomeoneresearchingarthropods(arthropodistmaybe?) to help you out with this.

[bmathison1972]

getting species ID on mites from images, yeah...good luck with that...

[Isidro]

getting species ID on mites from images, yeah...good luck with that...

I know, but I obtained positive results on various other mite species - just not these ones!

More to come. Now pseudoscorpions. For sure ID would be impossible, but let's try. They already passed by the filter of being checked by a Spanish pseudoscorpion expert (José Antonio Zaragoza), so not much hope, but...

Chernetid pseudoscorpion females guarding eggs under wet bark of rotten fir log in Pyrenees mountains



Pselaphochernes sp. Attached for phoresis in a small fly, but the fly was dead. Western France


Unknown even to family level. Obtained from an almond tree in my garden. lowland NE Spain

[Isidro]

Next try.

A solpugid or camel spider. Exposed in the same museum than the amblypigians above, and like them, with no data.


A Lithobius sp. found at the Great Wall, Pekin, China.


This one was identified very tentatively as Echinogammarus marinus by an expert in parasitic amphipods that don't study free-live amphipods. However Echinogammarus marinus don't occurs at Canary Islands, and looks different. So what could be? Tenerife (Canary Islands), rocky beach, between masses of the seaweed Cystoseira humilis.



One of the IMPORTANT AND NEEDED ones, that I'm desperate to get an ID for and that didn't passed by the filter of experts in the group (as I was unable to find none). Acorn barnacle in a tank of the New England Aquarium (Boston, Massachusetts). In a thank with thematic on cold Pacific Northwest (so rockfishes, whelks, Urticina anemones, this kind of critters). Probably native of the New York/Massachusetts area. Size as an olive, more or less. Asking directly to the aquarium direction didn't worked (I already tried, but obtained no reply)

[Isidro]

I had a little hope for the barnacle ID (and the Tetragnatha spider) with Blaine, maybe being able to contact an specialist in these fields, but probably this it too much to expect. Anyway, here's the next series of my photos that needs names:

These critters was bought as live food for fishes. The package said Moina salina. Moina salina is a cladoceran, very similar to a water flea (Daphnia). For me, these animals doesn't look like Daphnia-like at all. I'm pretty sure they're copepods. So the question is, which species of copepods are commercialized alive for fish food with most frecuency? And of these which is the best match?



Another of the EXTREMELY WANTED identifications. Also from New England aquarium like the barnacle. These shrimps were about 13-15 cm body lenght and live in the Weedy Sea Dragon tank. It's supposed to be a tank thematized with creatures that live in the weedy sea dragon area, so, south Australia. Other fishes and an abalone that live in the tank matches with that. Nobody pronounced ever about this shrimp when I asked in aqurium forums or directly to the New England aquarium email.


Preserved Serolis sp. exhibited with some other crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks and corals with no data, in a thematic room about Captain Nemo's travels in Pairi Daiza zoo, Belgium.


The most tricky one probably. An ostracod about 3 millimeter lenght, obtained from a slightly salty stagnant water very soon to evaporate in dry gypsy steppes of Monegros region, NE Spain. Terra typica of Eucypris/Candelacypris aragonica, and maybe even is this one, but not necessarily. But is at least a species that live in the same habitat.

[Isidro]

Starting with beetles. I don't lose the hope with the previously posted unidentified creatures.

Anthribid beetle exposed at Harvard Museum of Natural History, recolection data not available:


This one is very interesting to me. It's an urodontine anthribid beetle that emerged from some seeds brought from Table Mountain (South Africa) by my father. I assumed the seeds (and fruit capsule) was from a wild Gladiolus, but some was sown and the plant born and bloomed showing to be a Dietes bicolor (in the same family).
After much searching and contacting with experts the beetle was concluded to genus level: Urodontellus. But still is missing the species. It was collected and in the home of a friend that collects all kinds of biodiversity, but he was not able to identify it either.




Then a couple of soldier beetles (Cantharidae) in the genus Malthodes. They passed by the filter of the expert in Cantharidae, Robert Constantin, but it seems that this genus is too difficult to differenciate by photo. However, maybe other traits such as locality, phenology or abundance can make the identifications possible?
1. from Trigoniero valley, central Pyrenees mountains, north Spain, late July, in humid forest


2. from the arid gypsy pseudosteppe lowlands of Monegros region, NE Spain, early May

[Isidro]

New attempts, without losing hope for some identification of the previous ones.

Fulcidax sp. Only tag says "Brazil". Exposed at Harvard Museum of Natural History.


Another one that bugs me a lot. It's big, more or less same size than a Timarcha tenebricosa. For me, it looks like a lot an Eumolpinae, but not sure. Exposed at Alexander König museum of natural history, Bonn, Germany. No data.


I suppose that posting images of weevils would be a loss or time since I have zero hope for get them identified here, but if somebody want to try, I have unidentified images of Cathormiocerus sp, Donus sp, Phyllobius sp (three different), Polydius sp and Rhinusa sp. All of them from Spain. Spanish weevil expert Alonso-Zaragaza already revised them with no success.

Two different Laccophilus sp, first from April, second from August, both from shallow, quiet, a bit salty freshwater in gypsy lowland arid region of NE Spain.



Stenelmis sp, from same place and day than the second Laccophilus.

[Isidro]

This chafer is exposed at Harvard Museum of Natural History. I had no luck asking in other forums. According to tags, apparently it comes from Madagascar, but looking for Cetoniidae of Madagascar doesn't give any similar-looking result.
IDENTIFIED: Stenotarsia vermiculata thanks to Blaine Mathison!! 



Two pleasing fungus beetles (Erotylidae), both exposed at Harvard museum of natural history, with no data:



Hydraenid Ochthebius sp. in october in shallow, stagnant, slightly salty water in arid gypsy pseudosteppes in NE Spain

[bmathison1972]

@Isidro for the cetoniine, check out Stenotarsia vermiculata

[Isidro]

Yeeeeeahhhh!!! Blaine you nailed it!!!!! MILLION THANKS!!!
https://sites.google.com/site/insectesdefrance/home/collection--insectes-du-monde/cetonidae-de-madagascar/genre-stenotarsia?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1

[bmathison1972]

Yeeeeeahhhh!!! Blaine you nailed it!!!!! MILLION THANKS!!!
https://sites.google.com/site/insectesdefrance/home/collection--insectes-du-monde/cetonidae-de-madagascar/genre-stenotarsia?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1

My pleasure. I sent the link to a colleague/friend who is an erotylid specialist, maybe he can at least get a genus on them.

[Isidro]

You're the best!!!!!!!!!!!! Million thanks my friend!!!

[Isidro]

New trial:

A couple of different Laccobius spp. (different localities and dates) from lowland arid NE Spain.



This one exposed at a natural history museum, no data. Identified by myself tentatively as Mylabris oculata, as this is the most similar species I know, however for Mylabris oculata I only can find images of individuals with all-cream or all-red elytral bands, none with part cream and part red like this one.


This one will be probably impossible but let's try... genus Diplotaxis. Photographed in mid-July at Red Lodge, Montana.


This one is also one of the most wanted. Size as an Anoxia sp. Manuscript tag very difficult to read but it only have a 18 and a word that could be "Manila". I already searched exhaustively on Philippine melolonthids based on this supposition and none described species present on the islands matches, except those that I don't found none media or info about for comparison.