Species identification thread (real animals)

[bmathison1972]

the third melolonthine is definitely a Diplotaxis, but species-level ID unlikely without examination of aedeagus. The fauna is not as rich up north as it is down south, so there may be hope.

[bmathison1972]

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

@Isidro - this is what Dr. Paul Skelley wrote back about your 'erotylids': 'That's because both are Tenbrionidae. The first on I've seen, don't know the genus. The second more colorful one is Cuphotes or near. '

[Isidro]

Wow!!! Many thanks! I imagined that first one was indeed a tenebrionid, but sent it to a tenebrionid expert for ID and he said me that it's an erotylid! As for the second one, I never could imagine that it could not be an erotylid, with this very characteristic "gibbous" elytra of said family, plus general appareance and pattern very typical of erotylids. Maybe is an erotylid-mimic tenebrionid?
I will check genus Cuphotes now. Many thanks!

[Isidro]

After a quick search I think that the only one that matches with my photo is Cuphotes adelphus. The resemblance of Cuphotes darkling beetles with Gibbifer pleasing fungus beetles is extraordinary, clearly both genus are involved in a very perfectionist mimicry.

[bmathison1972]

After a quick search I think that the only one that matches with my photo is Cuphotes adelphus. The resemblance of Cuphotes darkling beetles with Gibbifer pleasing fungus beetles is extraordinary, clearly both genus are involved in a very perfectionist mimicry.

Yes I saw Gibbifer californicus (now Cypherotylus californicus) in Arizona; the similarities are striking (and hey, both live on fungi!)

[Isidro]

New batch for identify:

Phyllophaga sp. Caught at Kankakee County, Illinois.


Mediimorda sp. Middle august, near riverine forest in lowland NE Spain, 200 meters over sea, on fennel flowers.


Unknown Passalidae with no data, that I had many years ago in my disappeared collection. From vague memory it measured about 4 centimeters.


Another important one: Ptinus sp, appeared in my home (Saragossa, NE Spain) in february of last year. It's collected. Last image with a pencil mine, can give a reference for size.

[bmathison1972]

@Isidro for starters, your 'Phyllophaga' is a Cyclocephala

[Isidro]

Ouch! Then I will delete the photo. I already have photos of three identified Cyclocephala, so I don't need a non-identifiable one Thanks!

[Isidro]

New trial:

This one, for which after hard research I arrived to genus level (Eriesthis) was taken a very exhaustive investigation from me for know the species, but still unsuccessful. It was collected by my father in october of 2000 in Lesotho (Drakensberg mountains). Eriesthis is a very speciose genus. Some years ago I've found a work where it mentions how many Hopliini are recorded from Drakensverg mountains and they're very few, but the work doesn't mention which ones are recorded. In another work I found a list of the species of the genus and I found that one is called Eriesthis drakensbergensis. The name is very suggestive but just having a suggestive name plus the knowledge of very few monkey beetles having been recorded from Lesotho, is a very weak reason for put that name to my beetle. Please please please I need help for putting the correct name to this specimen!!! At least to know if Eriesthis drakensbergensis matches with the appareance of this beetle or otherwise must be ruled out!!!! (no images of the species in internet but maybe Blaine have access to books?)



This other was from same locality, just taken in january-february of the same year. I didn't arrived to genus. Almost sure a different genus than the one above.


Scaphisoma sp, on a polypore in mid-May 2009 in NE Spain about 600 meters over sea level, transitional climate mediterranean-mountain.


Quedius sp. Late May 2009, on a salt cedar (Tamarix) on gypsy dry steppes in NE Spain, 200 meters over sea level.

[Isidro]

Even more difficult? Chinese xantholinine rover beetle, photographed in Xian province in November. After several revisions it was concluded to be a Thyreocephalus sp, but still miss the species.


And now darkling beetles, all of them from San Diego, California (Pleaseeee Blaine  )

Blapstinus sp.



Coniontis sp.


Eleodes sp. Captive but almost sure native, San Diego natural history museum (TheNat), California. Only labeled with genus.


Hymenorus sp. Under the bark of a plane tree.

[Isidro]

New trial, with the remaining darkling beetles. I don't lose hope for the already posted animals.

Lagriinae, maybe Lagria sp, caught in South Africa. I've found photos of some similar species in Australia.


Phrynocolus sp. Specimen exhibited at Harvard Museum of Natural History. Tag says "Kano, Nigeria, X - 1942"


Psammodes sp. From South Africa. Big, as big as a Blaps or even slightly more.


A dish beetle, probably Stips sp. Exhibited at Museum Alexander König, Bonn, Germany.

[Isidro]

Don't getting discouraged by the lack of success, here are some other species I've photographed but being unable to narrow down to species ID. Done with all beetles, now is the turn to dictyopterans:

1. I have extremely faint hope for this one as it already passed by some cockroach experts and identification platforms witough success. The general consensus is that is a Parcoblatta sp, but I can't find any image, either adults or nymphs, within this genus that matches with this striking appareance. The photo is not mine, it was taken by my father in Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico in november 2015.


2. Again, very little hope for this one, already reviewed by cockroach experts. It's a Phyllodromica sp, photographed in low mountain in NE Spain (precise location is Arguis, Huesca, Aragon). The problem is that several species of Phyllodromica, many of them Spanish endemic, can share this same appareance.


3. Another extremely wanted very wished ID that I would die for get (my only photos of an alive hymenopodid), but it looks impossible. It's a Creobroter sp. After consulting a mantid expert friend, looks like hindwing is needed for ID, but I'm unable to get an image of the wing. It's captive and coming from Chiang Mai (Thailand), so the only possibility of ID is that somebody well into exotic arthropod terrarium hobby can know which species of Creobroter is the strain that comes from Chiang Mai into captivity (there is little chance of being more than one species).

[Isidro]

Starting a more difficult subject: flies and allies. All of them already passed by the filter of Diptera.info

1. Hylemya sp. Eastern Pyrenees (Spanish side). Big for an anthomyiid, size as a Phaonia.



2.  Dischistus biroi or Dischistus senex? Pyrenees mountains, Spanish side


3. Phthiria sp. I have been told that ID is impossible by photo, so I collected an individual. However then I've been told that with a collected individual ID is also impossible because, in resume, "keys are obsolete". I doubt that this can be called a reason and I don't lose the hope to put some day name to my file.
NE Spain, lowland, artificial Aleppo pine sparse forest in gypsy soil.

[Isidro]

Continuing with more unidentified flies.

1. Pollenia sp. I know, they're impossible but... September 2007, ruderal gypsy zone in NE Spain



2. A Cecidomyiidae (gall midge) found in August 2014 inside a home in Eastern Pyrenees mountains. I have the specimen collected in order to send it to a Cecidomyiidae expert for identification under microscope, but I didn't found any Cecidomyiidae expert that identified gall midges by the adult: only by the gall.

[Isidro]

More unknown flies. Now, chloropids (frit flies and allies):

1. mid-April, in a village in middle Ebro valley (NE Spain), 200 meters over sea


2. Meromyza sp. but which species? late-July, Gallocanta lagoon (NE Spain)


3. this is the one I'm most interested to know. early-August, Villanua (Pyrenees mountains), in flower on alpine pastures.


4. for "stuffing" the post. A Thaumatomyia that looks like "not-notata", early April, in a village in middle Ebro valley (NE Spain), 200 meters over sea

[Isidro]

I abandoned this thread while I was preparing for a mega-exciting entomological trip where I got many species. But all the ones posted still needs identifications and there are many more to come so I will continue posting in the hope somebody can help me or send the images to somebody expert in certain taxonomic groups.

I will start with the unknown animals photographed in my Vienna trip last year:

1. Empicoris sp. Photographed in the walls of a rural house around an alpine lake in Štrbské Pleso, High Tatras mountains, Slovakia, at 1340 meters over sea. I think altitudinal range and distribution can rule out most of the species. Please any hint?



2. Isopods seen in a marine tank of Mediterranean theme in Haus des Meeres, Wien. The appareance is very much like Asellidae but I think all Asellidae are freshwater critters and these ones were in a marine tank.


3. Again in Haus des Meeres in mediterranean themed tank. By comparison I concluded that it must be in the genus Gibbula. But which species?



4. In Haus des Meeres, but this time as polizonts in various tropical-themed tanks. Quite small (maybe juveniles) and I think that there is a chance to be Olividae, but which species?



5. An earthworm in a forest in Vienna suburbs. Any chance to ID it?

[Isidro]

Two of the unidentified subjects in message http://animaltoyforum.com/index.php?topic=1772.msg29785#msg29785 has been identified so I deleted them.

Meanwhile, I have little hope for the others posted but here are more species I need ID of. Turn of the dolichopodids:

1. Dolichopus sp. Early August, pre-Pyrenees at 500 meters over sea, northeast Spain



2. Medetera sp. Early November, Saragossa (NE Spain), 200 meters over sea, urban garden.



3. Poecilobothrus sp. Gallocanta, NE Spain, late July


4. Sciapus sp. Saragossa (NE Spain), 200 meters over sea, middle May.


5. Tachytrechus sp. Valbona (NE Spain), late August.


As always, any help regarding the species, even not secure IDS but reasonable guesses based on local abundance, habitat, phenology or whatever are useful!

[Isidro]

Some new requests for help:


I know, Hemerodromia are impossible to ID but...
La Peña, low Pyrenees mountains, NE Spain, 500 meters over sea


Trixoscelis sp, mating. Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain. January.

A couple of Platypalpus:


In my urban garden, Saragossa, NE Spain, 200 meters over sea.


And this one in the same place, in July


Tachydromia mating. Which species? Tosos, NE Spain

[Gecko08]

I found this frog near a bayou (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128212901 inat observation for precise location).

I think it's some kind of cricket frog but I'm looking for species ID.

[Isidro]

These couple for @bmathison1972. A parasite and a click beetle, his two passions

The parasite was found on a flatfish (out in the skin, but probably come from inside). I don't know which flatfish species nor the zone of capture. Looked alike some kind of plaice. From memory the parasite would measure about 15 mm long.


Second, an elaterid found yesterday in my parents garden. Small, Cardiophorus-sized. Zaragoza, NE Spain, urban garden about 200 meters over sea. I have plenty more photos if needed.