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Rutpela maculata
Rutpela maculata is approx. 18mm in length It's body is elongated and slimly built. The base colour is black. The antennae are alternately black and yellow. The wing covers are yellow,with black markings . There are black spots on the wings wings.
Rutpela maculata can be found from June to August in different habitats. They prefer deciduous forests, clumps of bushes or meadows with open areas. These beetles are diurnal and are often found on hawthorn or the parsley family, where they feed on pollen, nectar or parts of flowers. The preferred food plants of the adult beetles also include thistle orchid, chervil and hogweed. This particular specimen chose to feed on the petal of a sunflower.
There were two of this specimen on a sunflower while a bumble bee collected pollen from the same flower.
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