Oedemera nobilis, Swollen-thigh Beetle

Common Name: Swollen-thigh Beetle

With a length of 8 to 10mm, Oedemera nobilis, or the Swollen-thigh Beetle, has green elytra (wing covers) which are pointed and gape apart. The male and female of this beetle can easily be told apart, as the male has large green bulges on its femora or thighs, while the female does not.

The male is quite unmistakeable with its bulging thighs, but the female could be confused with other Oedemera species; however its size, gaping wing cases and irredescence distinguish it.

Usual habitat is flower meadows, gardens, roadside verges and waste ground where they visit flowers. A pollen feeder, it is active between April and September. Widespread from southern England northwards to the Wash and north Wales, but less common further north than that.

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