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100th. The most elegant beetle of Europe


100th. The most elegant beetle of Europe
Photo Information
Copyright: Marcello Romano (marcellr) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 208 W: 38 N: 1012] (3514)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-07-21
Categories: Insects
Camera: Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom
Exposure: f/4, 1/60 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-02-10 4:59
Viewed: 960
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is my 100th post on Trek Nature!
I would like to thank Trek members for all the learning opportunities that this site had provided to me since my first posting in October 2007.
Thanks for all your critiques, kind words and of course for sharing your great photos with me!

I dedicate this Rosalia longicorn to TN and all my friends here.

I hope you like this shot :-)

****

COLEOPTERA, CERAMBYCIDAE

Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) / Female

The genus Rosalia is ecologically associated with broad-leaved forests prevailing in the Tertiary period. It presently faces extinction.
Some stray species have been preserved: R. alpina in WEST and eastern Europe, R. coelestis in Ussuri-Primor’e region, R. funebris on the Aleutian Islands and west coast of North America, R. batesi on Islands of Japan, and over 10 species in the south, especially Southeast Asia.
The Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is one of the most striking and elegant of all beetles, with its beautiful steely blue-grey colouration and large, dominating black spots. The extremely long antennae on the front of the head are also adorned with groups of black hairs, which contrast dramatically with the blue-sky colour of the bare parts, appearing as alternating bands of black and blue. Males can be distinguished from females by their longer antennae, which can greatly exceed the length of the body.
The coloration serves as good camouflage with their preferred habitat, the European Beech.
Adults are active from June to September, and develop in dead compact and relatively dry wood of mainly beech (Fagus). After mating, the female lays the eggs within a crack in the bark of a beech.

Its numbers across Europe has greatly depleted in recent years, and it is a protected species, classified as Vulnerable (VU A1c) on the IUCN Red List 2006, listed on Annexe II of the Convention of Bern and as a priority species on Appendices II and IV of the EC Habitats Directive.
The Rosalia longicorn is largely threatened by habitat loss and destruction due to changes in methods of forest maintenance and felled wood processing. Trees are being cut down and harvested for timber and firewood before they reach a suitable age to be able to support developing larvae, and dead wood is being rapidly removed to facilitate ‘reforestation'. In the past, felled trunks were often stored along forest roads and remained there for long periods of time, attracting groups of breeding Rosalia longicorns. Now, felled trunks are usually cut and immediately moved. Forests rich in the preferred habitat of beech and maple have also been transformed into coniferous forests during recent decades. Fertilisers have helped accelerate forest growth and the development of closed canopies, which block out sunlight and prevent the essential drying of dead wood required for larvae development. Indeed, damp, humid conditions promote rotting and fungal growth in dead wood, conditions in which the metamorphosis of larvae into the adult beetle form cannot occur.
The Rosalia longicorn is protected in nearly all of its range nations, but it is its diminishing habitat that is perhaps in greater need of protection. It has therefore been generally recommended that more protected habitat be established, particularly forest areas that support old, damaged or dead beech trees. Additionally, landowners should be advised to leave dead wood on the forest floor where possible, or to move it and then leave it in exposed, sunny areas. With appropriate methods of forest management these stunning beetles should be able to flourish once more.
cicindela, peter_stoeckl, kjpweb, batu, uleko, jcoowanitwong, mariki, Silvio2006, fartash, cataclysta, vanderschelden, Alex99, crs, jmp, Argus, boreocypriensis, JORAPAVI, haraprasan has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Marcello! Nice lightness. Good sharpness. Very good texture.
Congratulations 100th post on TN! Good luck!

Dear Marcello,
wonderful posting of a most beautiful, rare and endangered species of European mountain beetles that I would not have expected to see from Sicily at all. Well composed, clear and sharp, very pleasant natural light. Perfectly fitting posting for the event. My congratulations to you for your 100#!
With best regards,
Peter

Congratulations on your 100th post! Great and huge looking insect you celebrate with! Great color and detail. Well done! Cheers, Klaus

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1056 W: 289 N: 3914] (13202)
  • [2008-02-10 5:41]

Dear Marcello,
just from beginning - with your first pictures, I noticed your skills in nature photography
and I'm glad that you continued with numerous fine contributions up to now - up to your 100th posting.
I always enjoy viewing your presentations which I feel are something particular here.
Besides, technical and artistic components of your pictures, your comments and notes are also highly valuable for TN.
So, I hope that we will see many further contributions in the future and I wish that
you can enjoy nature photography for a long time from now!
With respect to your actual picture of Rosalia alpina, I refer to the above considerations.
Again, it is a perfect picture. In particular, I like the natural setting here.
Best wishes, Peter

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2959 W: 162 N: 817] (2429)
  • [2008-02-10 5:53]

Hello Marcello,
Congratulations and thank you for posting this beautiful Beetle and for all that you've shown us since you joined TN. Your posts are always very interesting and you make a great contribution to the quality of TN.
This is a superb composition showing the sharp details and beautiful colours of this rare beauty very clearly and in fine contrast to the background.
Many thanks and kind regards, Ulla

Hello Marcello,
Congratulations to your 100th post. Beautiful showing of tis exotic Rosalia longicorn. Sharp image with nice color contrast. Sorry to hear that this species is facing distinction.
JC

Hello Marcello,

Very nice picture of this beautiful beetle. Beautiful composition. Great sharpness. Very nice light and beautiful colours.
Congratulations for you 100th posting.
Cheers,
Mariki

Squilli di tromba e fuochi d'artificio per la tua splendida centesima su TE, congratulazionmi Marcello, ci hai regalato cento emozioni.
Splendido questo elegante insettom vestito da gran sera, anche questo per me è una novità, macro di grande qualità come tuo solito, cento volte bravissimo e un sorriso che vale cento punti, ciao Silvio

Hello Marcello
Congratulation on 100th post,
Perfect details,composition and POV,Welldone my friend.

Regards
Fartash

Hi Marcello
Congratulations on your 100th post. Great beetle Good sharpness and colors. I think that you could reduce the higlights a little bit
Best wishes
Krzysztof

Hello Marcello,
Good work...
Congrats on your number 100.
Extraordinary insect.
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3551 W: 143 N: 5621] (18399)
  • [2008-02-10 9:36]

Hi Marcello.
I congratulate you on 100th post, which is as amazing as previous ones. You managed to form a terrific collection for so short period.

I am impressed with the subject and quality o the shot. Both beetle and trunk are reproduced fantastically. Perfect colours, great sharpness and details. Amazing light and very nice composition. These are convincing signs of your talent and skill as a photographer. My compliments and best regards.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 0 N: 920] (3543)
  • [2008-02-10 9:44]

Hi Marcello,

Good portret of the insect you did. Very good DOF having nice details of the insect. Well used light with natural colors.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

Ciao Marcello,
félicitations pour ton 100 ème post, la macro est très réussie, mise au point parfaite et jolies couleurs,
bravo
amicalement,
Pat

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1740 W: 95 N: 2273] (8411)
  • [2008-02-10 10:28]

Hi Marcello,
Congratulation on your 100th post. Beautiful longicorn with excellent details and beautiful colours.
TFS, José M.

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1930 W: 6 N: 5388] (19222)
  • [2008-02-10 10:56]

Ciao Marcello,inutile stare a commentare la foto che e' un capolavoro,ma solo un grosso GRAZIE da parte mia (e penso da tutti i frequentatori di questo sito)per le tue 100 incredibili schede ,buona settimana e spero di vederne altre 1000,Luciano

Hello Marcello!
Firstly thanks a lot for your kind dedication! Also thanks for sharing this wonderfull shot of this beautiful cerambycid species with great pose, sharpnes etc. friend!

Best regards,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3748 W: 186 N: 11161] (34473)
  • [2008-02-11 0:54]

Ciao Marcello,
Congratualtions on your 100th posting!
You mark the occasion with a superb portrait of this rare and beautiful Longhorn Beetle, Rosalia alpina. You portray it with fine sharpness, colours and from an excellent POV set in a fine composition.
Thanks for sharing this fine image and many of us on TN look forward to many more insect postings from you.
Grazie,
Ciao, Ivan

Hello Marcello!
You are right, this is probably one of the most beautiful beetle species in Europe, especially among Cerambycidae :)
Lovely capture with very good details and sharpness.
And of course perfect picture to celebrate 100th post! My best congratulations!!! I really hope that you will present at least another 1000 pictures, as your entomological presentations are always very interesting and bring a lot of poorly known facts!
Best greetings and all the best!
Radomir

Ciao Marcello, en primer lugar felicitarte por la exposición de tu fotografía nº 100 y en segundo por la elegancia de ese Cerambycidae.
Un abrazo: J. Ignasi

Hola Marcello,
Felicidades por tu 100th post, y gracias por las magníficas y didácticas fotos que nos regalas, como este bellísimo escarabajo, esperamos seguir disfrutando de muchas más. Un cordial saludo
José Ramón

Hi Marcello,
CONGRATULATIONS on your 100th post. A nice capture of tis beautifully patterned long horned beetle. Very well composed with excellent details and POV. Thanks a lot for the dedication and sharing.

Hi Marcello, again,

I thank you for the dedication of this spectacular animal to the TN community, and therefore also me! Please keep up your good work on TN .
My best regards
Dietrich

Hi Marcello
Belo inseto,otima foto.Parabens pelo belo album.
Abracos,
Ralf

Hola Mercelo!!!
FELICITACIONES! por tu post numero 100 en Trek Nuture, los insectos son de mi gusto creo que es una de las cosas que mas me gusta de la naturaleza, este insecto es realmente espectacular para mi.
Respecto a la foto: el POV es bueno, los colores tambien, lastima que esta un poco fuera de foco!!!.
Yo no tengo la posibilidad de ver este tipo de insectos en la region en la que vivo.
Saludos desde [Tandil - Buenos Aires - Argentina]

amazing beetle, TFS Ori

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