Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) corinthia Reiche & Saulcy, 1856 - Cyprus

Family: Buprestidae

Ελληνικά:
Τα ενήλικα άτομα του γένους Anthaxia, τρέφονται κατά την διάρκεια της μέρας με πέταλα ή γύρη λουλουδιών. Τα ενήλικα έχουν επίμηκες σχήμα και συνήθως με έντονα χρωματισμένο κέλυφος με μεταλλικές αντανακλάσεις. Τα ενήλικα αποθέτουν τα αυγά τούς σε νεκρά κλαδιά ή κορμούς ξυλωδών φυτών. Οι προνύμφες τρέφονται με το νεκρό ξύλο. Όταν οι προνύμφες φτάσουν στο τελικό στάδιο ανάπτυξης, μεταμορφώνονται σε νύμφες μέσα στο ξύλο. Όταν ενηλικιωθούν βγαίνουν από το ξύλο αφήνοντας μια μικρή τρύπα (οπή) στην επιφάνεια του κλαδιού.

Το είδος Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) corinthia έχει μέγεθος 6 mm. Τα γνωστά είδη ξενιστές του είναι: Pinus sp. Τα ενήλικα συναντώνται σε άνθη τής οικογένειας Asteraceae (Compositae), από τον Απρίλιο μέχρι Ιούλιο.


English: 

The adults of Anthaxia genus fed during the day with petals or flower pollen. Adults have an elongated shape and usually brightly colored carapace with metallic reflections. They lay there eggs in dead branches or trunks of woody plants. The larvae feed from the dead wood. When the larvae reach the final stage of development, transformed into nymphs within the wood. When adults emerge from the timber, a small hole remains on the branch surface.

The species Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) corinthia size is 6 mm. The known host species are: Pinus sp. Adults are found οn flowers of the family Asteraceae (Compositae), from April to July.

Info from www.anthaxia.eu and wikipedia, edited.

Photos at Troodos square 7/05/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis.

Cheilomenes propinqua nilotica Mulsant - Cyprus

Family: Coccinellidae

Cheilomenes propinqua is a carnivorous beetle of the family Coccinellidae. The species adults and larvae, feeds on aphids.

Photos at Aradippou 20/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Many thanks to Michalis Michael for his help on finding the species.

Exochomus nigromaculatus (Goeze, 1777) - Cyprus

Family: Coccinellidae

Like many species of the Coccinellidae family, Exochomus nigromaculatus feeds on aphids on low vegetation and sometimes on trees and shrubs. Exochomus nigromaculatus larvae feed also on aphids.

Photos at Lakatamia 15/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) - 22-spot ladybird - Cyprus

Family: Coccinellidae

Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata (often abbreviated to Psyllobora 22-punctata), the 22-spot ladybird, is a 3–5 mm long ladybird commonly found in Europe . Unlike most other ladybirds which feed on aphids, P. 22-punctata eats mildew especially from umbellifers and low-growing shrubs.  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Probably the first record of the species in Cyprus. 

Many thanks to Maria Stelikou for her help on finding the species.

Photos at Aradippou 20/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Adalia decempunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Ten-spotted lady beetle - Cyprus

Family: Coccinellidae

Adalia decempunctata, commonly known as the ten-spotted ladybird or ten-spotted lady beetle, is a carnivorous beetle of the family Coccinellidae.

The ten-spotted ladybird was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae, its original name was Coccinella decempunctata. Its specific name from the Latin decem "ten", and punctata "spotted".


A highly variable species, individuals may in fact bear anywhere from 0 to 15 spots.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos at Troodos 9/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Sitophilus kakourisi (Alziar et al., 2009) - Endemic to Cyprus

Endemic to Cyprus

Family: Curculionidae
Subfamily: Dryophthorinae

Sitophilus kakourisi is a species of weevils, endemic to Cyprus. It is found in the leaf litter of forest with Oak trees.

Sitophilus is a genus of weevils. Some species are familiar as pests of stored food products. Notable species include the rice weevil (S. oryzae), wheat weevil (S. granarius), and maize weevil (S. zeamais).

Distribution
The rice and maize weevils have a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, occurring throughout the warmer parts of the world. In Europe they are replaced by the temperate Palaearctic wheat weevil.

Biology
The adult female weevil bores a hole in a grain, nut, or seed, and deposits an egg, usually one egg per individual grain. She seals the hole with a secretion. The larva develops while feeding on the interior of the grain, and then pupates. It usually leaves the grain completely hollow when it exits as an adult. The wheat weevil can live on acorns, and may have used them as a host before agriculture made grain plentiful. The rice weevil can live on beans, nuts, grains, and some types of fruit, such as grapes. Several other Sitophilus use the acorns of oaks such as bluejack oak (Quercus incana) and moru oak (Q. floribunda). Some use the seeds of trees in the Dipterocarpaceae and the legume family, Fabaceae. The tamarind weevil (S. linearis) is only known from the seeds of tamarind.

Several Sitophilus species are hosts to an intracellular γ-Proteobacterium. Weevil and bacterium have a symbiotic relationship in which the bacterium produces nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins for the host, supplementing its cereal diet. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, edited. 


Photos at Alona 19/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) mysteriosa Obenberger, 1917 - Cyprus

Family: Buprestidae

Ελληνικά:
Τα ενήλικα άτομα του γένους Anthaxia, τρέφονται κατά την διάρκεια της μέρας με πέταλα ή γύρη λουλουδιών. Τα ενήλικα έχουν επίμηκες σχήμα και συνήθως με έντονα χρωματισμένο κέλυφος με μεταλλικές αντανακλάσεις. Τα ενήλικα αποθέτουν τα αυγά τούς σε νεκρά κλαδιά ή κορμούς ξυλωδών φυτών. Οι προνύμφες τρέφονται με το νεκρό ξύλο. Όταν οι προνύμφες φτάσουν στο τελικό στάδιο ανάπτυξης, μεταμορφώνονται σε νύμφες μέσα στο ξύλο. Όταν ενηλικιωθούν βγαίνουν από το ξύλο αφήνοντας μια μικρή τρύπα (οπή) στην επιφάνεια του κλαδιού.

Τα γνωστά φυτά (δέντρα) ξενιστές του είδους Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) mysteriosa είναι είδη του γένους Juniperus. Τα ενήλικα του είδους, έχουν μέγεθος 4,5 - 5mm και πετούν τον Απρίλιο.

English: 
The adults of Anthaxia genus fed during the day with petals or flower pollen. Adults have an elongated shape and usually brightly colored carapace with metallic reflections. They lay there eggs in dead branches or trunks of woody plants. The larvae feed from the dead wood. When the larvae reach the final stage of development, transformed into nymphs within the wood. When adults emerge from the timber, a small hole remains on the branch surface.

The known host plants (trees) of the species Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) mysteriosa are species of the genus Juniperus. Adults size is 4.5 - 5mm and they fly at April.
Info from www.anthaxia.eu and wikipedia, edited. 

Photos at Lisi 15/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Anthaxia (Anthaxia) brevis Gory & Laporte, 1839 - Cyprus

Family: Buprestidae

Ελληνικά:

Τα ενήλικα άτομα του γένους Anthaxia, τρέφονται κατά την διάρκεια της μέρας με πέταλα ή γύρη λουλουδιών. Τα ενήλικα έχουν επίμηκες σχήμα και συνήθως με έντονα χρωματισμένο κέλυφος με μεταλλικές αντανακλάσεις. Τα ενήλικα αποθέτουν τα αυγά τούς σε νεκρά κλαδιά ή κορμούς ξυλωδών φυτών. Οι προνύμφες τρέφονται με το νεκρό ξύλο. Όταν οι προνύμφες φτάσουν στο τελικό στάδιο ανάπτυξης, μεταμορφώνονται σε νύμφες μέσα στο ξύλο. Όταν ενηλικιωθούν βγαίνουν από το ξύλο αφήνοντας μια μικρή τρύπα (οπή) στην επιφάνεια του κλαδιού.

Τα γνωστά φυτά (δέντρα) ξενιστές του είδους Anthaxia (Anthaxia) brevis είναι: Quercus sp., Pistacia sp., Rhus sp., Cotinus sp. και Fraxinus sp.
Τα ενήλικα του είδους, έχουν μέγεθος 4 - 6mm και πετούν από Μάρτιο μέχρι Άγουστο. Τρέφονται σε κίτρινα άνθη της οικογένειας Asteraceae (Compositae).

English: The adults of Anthaxia genus fed during the day with petals or flower pollen. Adults have an elongated shape and usually brightly colored carapace with metallic reflections. They lay there eggs in dead branches or trunks of woody plants.The larvae feed from the dead wood. When the larvae reach the final stage of development, transformed into nymphs within the wood. When adults emerge from the timber, a small hole remains on the branch surface.

The known host plants (trees) of the species Anthaxia (Anthaxia) brevis are: Quercus sp., Pistacia sp., Rhus sp., Cotinus sp. and Fraxinus sp. Adults size is 4 - 6mm and they fly from March to August. They feed on yellow flowers of the family Asteraceae (Compositae).
Info from www.anthaxia.eu and wikipedia, edited. 

Photos at Skarinou 23/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Anthaxia (Cratomerus) diadema (Fischer, 1824) - Cyprus

Family: Buprestidae


Ελληνικά:
Τα ενήλικα άτομα του γένους Anthaxia, τρέφονται κατά την διάρκεια της μέρας με πέταλα ή γύρη λουλουδιών. Τα ενήλικα έχουν επίμηκες σχήμα και συνήθως με έντονα χρωματισμένο κέλυφος με μεταλλικές αντανακλάσεις. Τα ενήλικα αποθέτουν τα αυγά τούς σε νεκρά κλαδιά ή κορμούς ξυλωδών φυτών. Οι προνύμφες τρέφονται με το νεκρό ξύλο. Όταν οι προνύμφες φτάσουν στο τελικό στάδιο ανάπτυξης, μεταμορφώνονται σε νύμφες μέσα στο ξύλο. Όταν ενηλικιωθούν βγαίνουν από το ξύλο αφήνοντας μια μικρή τρύπα (οπή) στην επιφάνεια του κλαδιού.

Τα γνωστά φυτά (δέντρα) ξενιστές του είδους Anthaxia (Cratomerus) diadema είναι: Quercus sp., Acacia saligna, Casuarina sp., Eucalyptus occidentalis και Pyrus communis.

Τα ενήλικα του είδους, έχουν μέγεθος 7mm και πετούν από Μάιο μέχρι Άγουστο. Τρέφονται σε άνθη της οικογένειας Asteraceae (Compositae).

English: 
The adults of Anthaxia genus fed during the day with petals or flower pollen. Adults have an elongated shape and usually brightly colored carapace with metallic reflections. They lay there eggs in dead branches or trunks of woody plants.
The larvae feed from the dead wood. When the larvae reach the final stage of development, transformed into nymphs within the wood. When adults emerge from the timber, a small hole remains on the branch surface.

The known host plants (trees) of the species Anthaxia (Cratomerus) diadema are: Quercus sp., Acacia saligna, Casuarina sp., Eucalyptus occidentalis και Pyrus communis. 

Adults size is 7mm and they fly from May to August. They feed on flowers of the family Asteraceae (Compositae).
Info from www.anthaxia.eu and wikipedia, edited. 

Photos at Skarinou 23/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Chrysanthia cyprica Pic, 1920 - Endemic to Cyprus

Endemic to Cyprus

Chrysanthia is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Oedemeridae subfamily Nacerdinae.

Photos Chaleuka 27/4/2016 by George Konstantinou

Hypebaeus vesiculiger (Marseul 1868) - Cyprus

Family: Malachiidae

Hypebaeus is a genus of beetles (Coleoptera) in the Malachiidae family. The Malachiinae is often referred as a subfamily of Melyridae.

Photos at Strovolos 15/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) lucidus (Sturm, 1800) - Cyprus

Family: Scarabaeidae
Tribe: Onthophagini

Description
Onthophagus species can reach a length of 5.5–11 millimetres (0.22–0.43 in). These small beetles are oval shaped, the color is usually black or reddish-brown. Sometimes the pronotum has a weak metallic sheen. The males of some species have on the heads horns that they use to fight with each other to gain mating rights with females. Some males do not have horns, and therefore do not come into the fight, but have larger gonads. This adaption reduces direct competition with horned males.

Onthophagus can pull a weight of 1141 times its own body mass and is considered the strongest animal on earth on a body weight to lift ratio.

Economic value
Dung beetles have been utilized in the breakdown of manure on sheep and dairy farms worldwide. These beetles pull the manure into the ground to create their brood balls, which they use as egg chambers. This increases grazing space for cattle, reduces habitats for flies and bacteria, and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Edited).

Photos at Akrotiri 10/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis.