# Thick-legged Flower Beetle (*Oedemera nobilis*) The Thick-legged Flower Beetle is a shiny green beetle that loves to visit flowers. It has thick, strong legs that help it move around and find food. You can often see it buzzing around colorful blooms! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Gardens ![Thick-legged Flower Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Oedemera_nobilis_MHNT_Female.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oedemera_nobilis_MHNT_Female.jpg) ## Appearance The Thick-legged Flower Beetle is a striking insect, typically metallic green, bronze, or coppery. Males are easily identified by their unusually swollen hind femurs, which gives the beetle its common name. This feature makes them distinctive among other flower beetles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Oedemeridae - **Genus:** Oedemera ## Interesting facts - Males have big, bulging back legs that look like they lift weights! - Their babies live hidden in dead wood, eating it like tiny recyclers! - Their scientific name, Oedemera, literally means "swollen thigh" in Greek! - When threatened, these beetles sometimes play dead to fool predators. ## Special abilities - **Pollen Power!:** Thick-legged Flower Beetle helps pollinate flowers by carrying pollen on its body, which helps plants make seeds. - **Super Thigh Strength:** Male beetles have thick, strong hind legs that help them firmly grasp females during mating. - **Shiny Armor Shield:** Its metallic green exoskeleton provides protection against predators and helps it blend into foliage. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 12-20 mm - **Size:** 8-10 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 8 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding These beetles sip nectar and munch on pollen and petals from various flowers. - **Age differences:** Larvae feed on dead wood; adults feast on flowers. - **Primary Foods:** Nectar, Pollen, Flower petals, Leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Meadow Buttercup](https://www.snappit.app/explore/meadow-buttercup) (*Ranunculus acris*) — Transfers pollen between flowers. - **Pollinates:** Wild Carrot (*Daucus carota*) — Helps these white umbrella flowers reproduce. - **Eaten by:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — A common garden bird that may prey on beetles. - **Eaten by:** Cucumber Green Orb Weaver (*Araniella cucurbitina*) — Spiders can catch beetles in their webs. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low These beetles are harmless, but it's always best to watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Thick-legged Flower Beetle? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Thick-legged Flower Beetle's wingspan? 12-20 mm ### How big is Thick-legged Flower Beetle? 8-10 mm ### How long does Thick-legged Flower Beetle live? 30-60 days ### How fast can Thick-legged Flower Beetle fly? 8 km/h ### What does Thick-legged Flower Beetle eat? These beetles sip nectar and munch on pollen and petals from various flowers. ### Where is Thick-legged Flower Beetle usually found? Gardens ### How does Thick-legged Flower Beetle hunt? Foraging ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Thick-legged Flower Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/thick-legged-flower-beetle)