Meloe proscarabaeus Linnaeus, 1758
(Black Oil-beetle)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesMeloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle)
GenusMeloe (blister beetles, oil beetles)
FamilyMELOIDAE (oil beetles)
SuperfamilyTENEBRIONOIDEA (narrow timber beetles)
Series Cucujiformia (a group of beetles)
SuborderPOLYPHAGA (mainly terrestrial beetles)
OrderCOLEOPTERA (beetles)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle) :
1: Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle)
11 Apr 2018 OSGR: SY98 50° 40’ N, 2° 0’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
mating pair, in meadow
Image 1: Female - antero-dorsal view - natural backgroundImage 2: Female - dorsal view - natural backgroundImage 3: Female - dorsal view - natural background (2)Image 4: Female - dorsal view - natural background (3)Image 5: Female - dorsal view - pale backgroundImage 6: Female - dorsal view - pale background (2)Image 7: Female - dorsal view - pale background (3)Image 8: Female - latero-dorsal view - pale backgroundImage 9: In cop - dorsal viewImage 10: Male - lateral view - natural backgroundImage 11: Male - latero-dorsal view - natural backgroundImage 12: Mating pair - dorso-lateral view - natural backgroundImage 13: Mating pair - dorso-lateral view - natural background (2)Image 14: Mating pair - lateral viewImage 15: Mating pair - latero-dorsal view - natural backgroundImage 16: Mating pair - latero-dorsal view - natural background (2)Image 17: Mating pair - latero-dorsal view - natural background (3)Image 18: In cop - dorsal view - close-up - enlarged
2: Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle)
18 Jun 2006 OSGR: SU58 51° 30’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Triungulin stage, on dorsum of Andrena cinerea . Photos: Triungulin stage
Image 1: Triungulin stage - dorsal view - close-up - highly enlargedImage 2: Triungulin stage - near wing-base on host - enlarged
3: Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle)
23 Apr 2003 OSGR: SY97 50° 40’ N, 2° 0’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
on path to sea
Image 1: Lateral view

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Cooter, J. & Barclay M.V.L. (eds) 2006 A Coleopterist’s handbook The Amateur Entomolgist, 11, Fourth Edition edition, 439pp, Amateur Entomologists’ Society

Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 1 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Meloe proscarabaeus (Black Oil-beetle)
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