Coeliodes transversealbofasciatus (Goeze, 1777)

This widespread and locally common species occurs throughout Europe and extends through Asia Minor and into western Russia, to the north it reaches the UK and some central provinces of Fennoscandia and it has also been recorded from Morocco, in the UK it is locally common in the south and east of England as far north as the Humber, scattered around the southern and western coasts of Wales and very local and scarce further north into southern Scotland. Adults occur over a long season from March or April, peaking in abundance during May and remaining common until August. The usual habitat is deciduous woodland, wooded parkland and hedgerows where the host trees are common. In the UK the usual hosts are English oak (Quercus robur L.) and Sessile oak (Q. petraea (Matt.)) but on the continent they also occur on other species including Holm oak (Q. ilex L.), Cork oak (Q. suber L.) and Downy oak (Q. pubescens Willd.). Little is known of the biology of the species but mating pairs may be found during May and June and larvae are known to develop in female inflorescences. (Typical of the family it is likely to be univoltine with larvae developing through the spring and summer and entering the ground to pupate, and that adults are fully formed in the autumn but do not emerge until the following spring.) Adults feed on buds and fresh leaves on trees of any age and are easily sampled by beating or sweeping foliage although they usually occur as single specimens or pairs and to find them in numbers is unusual.

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​2.8-3.3 mm. Broadly-oval and continuous in outline, entirely reddish brown to orange, head, pronotum and base of rostrum with elongate pale scales, elytra with sparse very fine scales and larger scales, similar to those on the pronotum, forming two transverse bands, the apical band often continuing laterally towards the apex. Head transverse with short diverging temples and large convex eyes, frons slightly concave and about as wide as the rostral base, rostrum long, parallel and evenly curved from the base with lateral scrobes that are not visible from above. Antennae geniculate, scape short and gradually broadened from the middle, funiculus seven segmented. Pronotum transverse, broadest towards the base and narrowed to a variable sub-apical constriction, the apical margin distinctly angled with the disc but hardly raised, surface evenly convex but for a blunt tubercle on each side. Rostral channel reaching beyond the prosternum, at least to between the middle coxae, front and middle coxae therefore well-separated. Mesepimera visible above the elytral humeri. Elytra broad and only slightly elongate, broadest below sloping shoulders and narrowed to an almost truncate apical margin, striae much narrower then the interstices, strongly punctured and complete to the apex, interstices flat and finely rugose throughout; about the declivity some outer interstices (at least) bear fine sharp tubercles. Femora unarmed although the hind femora may bear a swelling suggestive of a small tooth, tibiae very finely serrated externally, third segment of all tarsi strongly bilobed. Claws toothed. Males may be distinguished by the form of the abdomen; here the first and fifth ventrites have distinct impressions while in the female they are simply convex, males also have apical spurs on the middle and hind tibiae whereas in the female they are unarmed.