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Hello!

Is it possible to tell the species (group)? Or at least, what species it can't be...? Photo taken two days ago, Ostwestfalen/Germany. Thanks in advance!

Larger picture:
http://www.foto-u..._W_big.jpg

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I doubt it ... looks like a female Gymnosoma sp. Would be easier with a specimen and I'd be happy to try to key anything if you could catch it and send it here

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Hello, Chris!



Thanks! I suspected it...



Many thanks for the offer, but for now I'm only photographing the insects without catching them.

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Well. little doubt this is a female G. rotundatum.

Theo

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Can you tell us why? Which features work as a 'rule of thumb'?

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-> No dusting on scutellum at all -> either rotundatum of nudifrons
-> female
-> black on parafrontals reachtin only to halfway antennal base
-> no nudifrons thus rotundatum.

Theo

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Hello, Theo!



Thanks a lot! That encourages me to furthermore try to make as detailed photos of the Gymnosomas here also in the future .

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by the way:
female sex is characterized by the black thoracic dorsum (without dusting).

Theo

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Hello, Theo!



As a rule of thumb I had concluded from observations (seeing that in all mating couples) that the males are the ones with smaller, round, separate spots on the abdomen. (Pics below from same location and time as the above females.)

http://insektenfo...ntid=20364

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To illustrate my point
-1) this is a male (size of spots less reliable)
-2) def. NOT nudifrons/rotundatum, most likely dolycoridis

Theo

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Hello, Theo!



But more easy to see even from a bigger distance ;-).



Interesting! Males of another species among the females of rotundatum on the same plant stock.