ID Aids
Here we display pairs or groups of morphologically close species, seeing these together can highlight diagnostic features but just as importantly we hope to show how infraspecific variation can negate the usefulness of characters which might initially seem objective. Comparing a specimen with type material is the best way either to identify or to suggest whether further work e.g. dissection is necessary but as most of us do not have access to a reference collection we are providing what we consider to be the next best thing i.e. colour photographs along with specific guidance. We also attempt to achieve a broader usefulness by displaying characters used in established keys where we have found these to be ambiguous For those without extensive experience of identifying Coleoptera a read through the identification discussion in the Techniques section will be useful before embarking upon the following examples. Specimens pictured on the following pages have been identified by the WCG, that is to say that from whatever source the specimens originated, unless otherwise stated, they have been verified by Mr. D.Hodges and/or Mr. D.Murray.		Species Pairs Apionidae  Perapion violaceum/hydrolapathi Byturidae  Byturus ochraceus/B.tomentosus Cantharidae  Cantharidae nigricans/C.pellucida  Cantharidae cryptica/C.pallida Carabidae  Pterostichus nigrita/P.rhaeticus  Amara communis/convexior  Amara ovata/similata  Nebria brevicollis/salina Chrysomelidae  Apteropeda globosa/A.orbiculata  Galerucella nymphaeae/G.sagitttariae  Lema cyanella/Oulema obscurus  Neocrepidodera transversa/ferruginea  Oulema melanopus/rufocyanea  Sphaeroderma rubidum/S.testaceum Coccinellidae  Rhyzobius litura/R.chrysomeloides Curculionidae  Coeliodes ruber/rana/transversealbofasciatus  Phyllobius roboretanus/P.virideaeris Erotylidae  Triplax aenea/Tetratoma fungorum Histeridae  Plegaderus vulneratus/P.dissectus Malachiiidae  Malachius bipustulatus/Cordylepherus viridis Monotomidae  Rhizophagus dispar/R.bipustulatus Nitidulidae  Pocadius adustus/P.ferrugineus Scarabaeidae  Aphodius prodromus/A.sphacelatus Tetratomidae  Triplax aenea/Tetratoma fungorum
		Keys
		Antennae
		Guides