Soft-winged flower beetles (Malachiidae) have "excitators" to exude secretions which females find attractive. In genus Clanoptilus, they're at the end of the elytra, as in my beetle above.

But in genus Malachius, including the common malachite beetle, they're on the head.

So if you see these spikes, you have a Clanoptilus beetle, & if it has red patches, then it's Clanoptilus geniculatus.

These have only 248 European observations on iNaturalist, although my region is a relative hotspot.

Apparently it's not possible to distinguish A. larseniella from A. cinctella without a microscopic examination of the genitals.

Indeed, they're so similar, they were long thought to be just one species.

But even combined, they seem to be very rare. GBIF has more observations of both kinds in DE, but still only 36 of A. larseniella & 11 of A. cinctella.

Based on proximity of all those observations to me, I'd favour A. larseniella, but again, it's not possible to be sure without a microscope.

Finally, a mystery – this tiny beast has me stumped.

It could be the first instar nymph of a shield bug, but I can't identify which have this very distinct black front half & then dark red pattern at the rear.

Or maybe it's a small beetle instead, but equally, I can't find any that resemble it.

Thoughts?

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
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Another addition to my famous red & black list, the very natty minstrel bug or European striped shield bug (Graphosoma italicum; 🇩🇪 Streifenwanze).

I'm not sure I saw one in my garden last year, just elsewhere, so a welcome sight.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
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Next, this small mason bee was flitting between feeding on the nearby lavender flowers & then resting briefly on this piece of granite.

The eyes, colour scheme, & markings suggest that it's a Hooked Small-Mason (Hoplitis adunca; 🇩🇪 Glänzende Natternkopf-Mauerbiene).

Reminds me to put up some new bee hotels.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
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