9667 Huge blue/black bee type insect

Probably a Rose Chafer Beetle, part of the Scarab family of beetle types.
"The rose chafer (Cetonia aurata), also known as the green rose chafer, is a reasonably large beetle, 20 mm (0.75 in) long, that has metallic green coloration (but can be bronze, copper, violet, blue/black or grey) with a distinct V shaped scutellum, the small triangular area between the wing cases just below the thorax, and having several other irregular small white lines and marks. The underside is a coppery colour. Rose chafers are capable of very fast flight; they do it with their wing cases down thus resembling a bumble bee. They feed on flowers, nectar and pollen, in particular roses (from where they get their name); which is where they can be found on warm sunny days, between May and June/July, occasionally to September.
[url=http://www.wildanimalsonline.com/insect/rosechafer.php]Rose Chafer ( Cetonia aurata ) - Rose Chafer information - Rose Chafer facts - WildAnimalsOnline.com[/url]

The larvae are C shaped, have a very firm wrinkled hairy body, a very small head and tiny legs; they move on their backs, which is a very quick way to identify them. Larvae overwinter wherever they have been feeding, that is in compost, manure, leafmould or rotting wood, and they pupate in June/July. Some adult beetles might emerge in the autumn, but the main emergence is in the spring when they mate. Following mating, the females lay their eggs in decaying organic matter, and then die. Larvae grow very fast, and before the end of autumn they would all have moulted twice. They have a two year life cycle.

Rose chafers are found over southern and central Europe and the southern part the UK were they seem to be sometimes very localized. They are a very beneficial saprophagous species (detritivore), their larvae are the insect equivalent of earth worms and help make very good compost where they are often found in great numbers."

It's a calabrone, or hornet. You're right- they are beautiful.
Yes, they will sting if you disturb them. I leave them alone and they don't bother me.

Would doubt it is a hornet Noma, as they are unmistakable and to be avoided, but undisturbed do not appear aggresive.Think that Geo is right about the beetles, seem to really love our Wisteria,and I have got used to them now flying around in large numbers.
A

I don't think it is a hornet, at least the hornets I have seen and know of are not like this. The rose chafer beetle, well I have just looked on quite a few web sites and again they colouring, shape and size doesn't seem right.

The insects I have seen are sort of blue black as opposed to green and are larger than the 3/4 inch size mentioned for the rose chafer. They "bumble" about and are quite fat. One got in my car last year (I was out of it at the time!!!!(phew) and I was amazed at how big it was. I thinked it buzzed but not 100% sure.

It may be a rose chafer - I will have to try and observe one whilst I am over there next week but I tend to keep my distance from bugs!
maralyn

It does soyund rather like what the Italians call a 'maggiolino' (or maybug/cockchafer). They are noisy in flight and abound in spring. I thought they were tiny bats the first time I saw them years ago, but the locals :smile: put me right...

'Maggiolino' is also what Italians call the VW Beatle!
If you're lucky enough to see one [I]not[/I] in flight, they look like this:
[URL="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m23/86lele86x/maggiolino.jpg"][B]>MAGGIOLINO<[/B][/URL]

[quote=Noma;90494]It's a calabrone, or hornet.[/quote]
Hornets are not iridescent blue-black as described by Maralyn, but rather a yellow and black striped pattern similar to the common British wasp. I do agree that hornets are impressive beasts. They will sting if provoked, but I've found them not at all aggressive - at least not towards humans: they are predators and kill other insects. Last year, there was a nest in an old oak near the house, but we've not had any problems with them. Even in late summer when wasps become a nusiance, the hornets continued to mind their own business.

I also think Geo is right about Maralyn's bug being a Rose Chafer.

My favourite insects in Italy are the [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird_hawkmoth"]Hummingbird Hawkmoth[/URL] and fireflies.

The first time I saw a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, I thought for a second it might be a miniature bird. It's fascinating to watch them working a patch of flowers and drinking nectar with an amazingly long proboscis; the speed and precision of their movements as they dart from flower to flower is amazing.

They don't seem to be very common on our patch and I've not seen one of them so far this year, but the fireflies have clearly decided in the last few days that it's time to make more fireflies, so they're out in force and our lawn and the field of barley next to us has an amazing silent fireworks display in the early hours of the night.

Al

Hi Carole
The picture you sent is the same as the rose chafer - I think. I will ask my neighbours when we next see one if is a maggiolino. Am now very intrigue. If this is a beetle I assume it won't bite or sting.
maralyn

I completely concur with AllanMason about the Hummingbird Hawk Moth. A beautiful creature to watch about it's work. We are fortunate to have a terrace which attracts many of them in the summer and the precision of their "probiscus dipping" is incredible to watch.

All that said, has anyone taken a look at a [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee"]Carpenter Bee [/URL]yet? The European version found here is black/blue and pretty big (see photo).

Maybe what you've seen is a [URL="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/others/carpenter-bee-9684.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/carpenter-bee:xylocopa-violacea-photo-899.html&h=404&w=604&sz=47&tbnid=PD8QcT2AtQ0J:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dxylocopa%2Bviolacea&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1"]Carpenter Bee[/URL]? Wikipedia entry on this family of insects [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee"]here[/URL].

There's more [URL="http://www.bumblebee.org/OTHERbees.htm"]here[/URL] on Carpenter Bees, including some amusing information on why you might provoke what seems to be an attack by one of these bees just by getting near some dead wood. It seems males hang out around tunnels in wood that they know contain female bees about to emerge. Once they've staked out their patch, they'll chase away any other male bees that come near. If a human happens by, they will get a close investigation. It's also possible for people to inadvertently wander into the middle of duel by males disputing the right to a patch which, given the size of the things, would be a bit alarming.

If it's not this bee, and not a chafer but some other sort of beetle, then you might have a bit of digging to do in order to identify it. Useless facts I learned this morning: a quarter of all insect species are beetles, there are around 350,000 identified species of beetles and it's estimated there are another 5 million or so species yet to be catalogued.

Al

Edit: Seems Nardini was posting his thoughts while I was Googling like mad. :bigergrin:

[quote=AllanMason;90507]Edit: Seems Nardini was posting his thoughts while I was Googling like mad. :bigergrin:[/quote]What else to do on a rainy day, eh?

We had to cut down a couple of trees last year (due to their imminent deaths, I assure you!) and found that the carpenter bees had burrowed right to the heart of the trees concerned. No wonder we have so many of these flying battle-cruisers around the garden.

Love the photo nardini - I was a bit worried for your hand (it is yours, right?) til I read the Wiki link and discovered that the males have no stinger.

I like watching these big furry guys pootle around, and I'd sussed that they were pretty docile ... but I love seeing house guests going weak at the knees when they clock one :-)

Now, if I can just master the art of long range gender identifcation there'll be no end to my future displays of bravery!

ps. was it an opportunistic snap or did you wait for days for that "David Attenborough" moment?

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/honey-monster-watch-out-for-the-violet-carpenter-bee-440552.html]Honey monster: watch out for the violet carpenter bee - Nature, Environment - The Independent[/url]

.. I'd much rather have this than the asian tiger mosquito, which apparently is also headed for the UK

Nardini and Alan
I think you have found my bee!!! Yep, that looks like the bees that are zooming around. Splendidly handsome fellahs but alarming to scarey cats like me. Is that one on your own hand Nardini? Do they sting? I feel I may just have to keep my running shoes on because I am a bit nervous about flying insects. Glad we got the mosquito blinds fitted last year.
Thanks for your help in finding out what this insect is.
maralyn

[quote=pigro;90510]Love the photo nardini - I was a bit worried for your hand (it is yours, right?) ... ps. was it an opportunistic snap or did you wait for days for that "David Attenborough" moment?[/quote]
If you are talking about the avatar with our pooch and my hand - yes, it's mine. If, però, you mean the carpenter bee on the hand, alas it is not of my doing. Almost the first pic that shows up when you do a Google search (yes, Al - I was as well!) is that one.

I was watching them on the honeysuckle a couple of days ago, in fact. They drive their probiscus (that word again...) through the neck of the flower, bypassing the intended orifice altogether, and take on the experssion of a sleeping dog (some of you will understand the mental image, I'm sure) whilst sucking out the nectar. I really must have the camera with me the next time, speriamo!

sorry, rampant thread hijack going on now, but maralyn has ID'd her perp, so may I be excused for linking to a web page listing the authors "top 10 bees" - which of course features the big black beastie under discussion.

if you are after serious natural history, or are a budding entymologist, forget it ... but if you appreciate a Douglas Adams-esque sense of humour, give it a read. Hint - the pic's of "dogs dressed as bees" ...

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.... kind of set the tone!

[url=http://www.mookychick.co.uk/cruelty_to_animals/beedogs.php]Favourite bees - Pete Cashmore - Mookychick[/url]

[quote=AllanMason;90498]
The first time I saw a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, I thought for a second it might be a miniature bird. [/quote]
Me too. It was the antennae that gave it away in the end.

I've since seen one here in Ireland, which might be a symptom of global warming. (There was an item on the local news the other day about black Mediterranean sea urchins colonising our North coast.)

Oh Pigro, how embarrassed does that dog feel, poor little B!!!
Looked on the associated site and had a laugh about the different bee types he talks about. What an imagination. Well worth looking on the dog/bee site for a laugh. Many thanks.
maralyn

I'm sure carpenter bees must have a horrible sting, but in general they seem to be much less interested in anything to do with people than most of the other stinging items that buzz by. So enjoy them - I really like to watch them go past.

First came across them years ago on one of my favourite Greek beaches, where they always did frequent low passes over scores of nearly naked bodies. Only the foreigners ever seemed worried - and no-one was ever stung.

I thought bosco that the link I read said they have no sting? someone correct me plse if I am wrong.They are much more fun to watch knowing that!.
A

Please, please, please someone confirm they are sting-less!!! I think I will be able to relax far more knowing they were. I mean to say, what on earth would beautiful big fellahs like that, burrowing into trees need a stinger for?

Hopefully gentle giant comes to mind!!!
Maralyn

Have checked Alans link again now.It says that the males cannot sting, which leaves us with the knotty problem of how to spot a lady carpenter bee, who it appears probably can.
A

That's easy. The lady bee is the bee with the handbag and highheels!!!
Maralyn

Not really sure it's a bee - we used to get a lot of them by the coast in Torvaianica near Rome if we left the door open and the light on - always in May so I would go with the maggiolino post. Swotted one or two in the past and they were definitely flying beetles, no agression, no sting, just black beetle like wings. Huge and scarey and when locals told me they could sting, even more scarey till I realized they thought I was talking about hornets. We get hornets but they fly past and ignore us (once as a child had one on my tongue and we both survived). Don't get these beetles at our altitude though from the villino.

Some results of a search on "carpenter bee" + sting + female:

"female carpenter bees will not sting unless directly provoked"
"are docile and are reported to sting only if handled"
"female carpenter bees can inflict a painful sting but seldom will unless handled or molested"
"only sting when they are disturbed"
"are very docile, and are not known to sting people, even when disturbed"

Supposedly also, the ones which actually fly past are the males - as the females are too busy nest-building. So it seems like everyone can relax and just enjoy them!

This delightful fellow flew into the bedroom through an open window last night, and was utterly terryifyng doing a helicopter stunt around the lamp. I know carpenter bees, but this bug was much much noisier, and the body was 40mm, the head another 10mm.

It was (still is, but outside now!) very shiny black, and the red filaments around the legs show a true colour in the photo. In flght the wngs were a beautiful orange-red.

Can anybody manage to identify this one? The antennae are quite interesting with sort of flowery bits at the end.
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[quote=Charles Phillips;91334]
Can anybody manage to identify this one?
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Looks like a chafer. Possibly a male [I]hoplia caerulea[/I]? Try doing a search on this - I'm afraid my internet connection is far too bad tonight to do picture searches.

I think that all chafers are vegetarian and totally harmless to people.