Ivona Maris - Sexual dimorphism in Rosalia alpina

Name: Ivona Maris
Web: https://www.dinmansarda.com/

Redes sociales: https://www.instagram.com/ivonamaris/

Country: Romania

Title: Sexual dimorphism in Rosalia alpina
Specie: Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) – male and female

Description: Rosalia alpina – an saproxylic beetle, endangered and strictly protected icon of European biodiversity.

Body length up to 40 mm. Peculiar, marvelous velvety bluish-grey to light blue body. Symmetrically arranged black spots of variable shape on elytra. Typically it has three black spots on each and one black spot in the middle of the anterior border of the pronotum.

Female: antennae are a little longer than the body, with tufts of hair up to the 6-7th segment. Last segments are with a dark and smooth apex. Plain mandibles.
Male: antennae are up to twice the body length, with tufts of hair up to the 5-6th segment. Length of elytra is slightly shorter in males. Toothed mandibles.

Habitat: Fagus sylvatica, Ulmus, Carpinus, Tilia, Castanea.
Can disperse: 1.6 km around breeding trees.

Category: Nature illustration

Technique: Winsor&Newton Watercolor on Langton Prestige Daler Rowney, hot-pressed, 100% cotton, 300gsm watercolor paper and digitally edited
Size: Original watercolor 38 x 56 cm
Year: 2022