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Thick-legged Flower Beetle Ischnomera cyanea

The Thick-legged Flower Beetle belongs to a family of beetles called the False Blister Beetles in English and the Falso Long-horn Beetles in Dutch. This tells you exactly what common names are worth. The Thick-legged Flower Beetle is one of the most common representatives of its family. The common name refers to the tickened hind legs of the males of this species. Females have ordinary legs. This species measures some 7 to 12 mm. It is slender and very elongated and usually looks blueish, but depending on the light it may give a greenish impression instead. When feeding on flowers the shields may be apart slightly, showing some back and/or wings. Adults are usually seen feeding on umbers.

Adults appear from April to June, peaking in May. They visit flowers, umbers, hawthorn and Hogweed are favoured. The larvae live inside soft, moist and rotting wood of quite a number of deciduous trees, such as Salix, oak, prunes etc. It may take them two years to complete their development. This is a very common species over most of moderate Europe. Very common in England, common in Wales and less common in Scotland.

We are pretty sure the depicted animal is the Thick-legged Flower Beetle, but there is another possibility: Ischnomera caerulea. There are only minute differences between these two species. The best way to tell them apart is studying the male genitals.