Anaspis frontalis

This one was swept from White Dead-nettle and would have been identified using Hackston.

Anaspis frontalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 30th April 2019

This one was swept from Groumd Ivy and would probably have been identified using Levey.

female Anaspis frontalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 27th May 2021

This one was swept from Broom and would have been identified using Hackston.

female Anaspis frontalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 20th April 2019

This one was beaten from Hawthorn and would have been identified using Hackston.

female Anaspis frontalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 12th May 2019

This one was swept from Birch and keyed to Anapsis thoracica - the antennae were clearly wrong for frontalis as the subapical antennomeres were too elongated. The tibia shape was perhaps questionable - not really sinuate but clearly curved and not straight so the "sinuate" alternative to "straight" seemed best, and with a pair of abdominal appendages it went straight to thoracica up to the point where I checked the tergites for silvery patches. I had previously keyed a black Anaspis to thoracica so didn't immediately pick up on the fact that thoracica normally has a brown pronotum, but I decided to clear the abdomen for a closer look at the appendages. The body had become a little mouldy in the nearly three years it took me to examine it properly and I couldn't see the appendages very clearly so I felt it was worth sticking it in KOH for a bit to get a better look. I meant to check for the silvery patches on the tergites before doing so but forgot (I couldn't see them afterwards but wasn't sure if they would show up when it was wet). While it was clearing I looked into thoracica and discovered that it does not normally have a black pronotum which cast significant doubts over whether it (and the one I'd identified as thoracica previously) really were thoracica. Once clear it became obvious that the appendages were strongly curved at the tips which is not shown in any of the diagrams for thoracica but is just right for frontalis. The subterminal antennal segements were clearly elongate, more so than they have been on other frontalis I've seen and more so than on most frontalis photos I've seen online. Presumably this is just an unusual frontalis as none of the other Anaspis appendages shown in the keys have like this. This also showed sharply bicoloured front femora (orange front, black rear) which seems to be shared with the other frontalis I've identified previously and other photos online, whereas I'm not sure it's normally the case on other black Anaspis. I'm not sure how diagnostic it is (if at all) but based on a fairly limited amount of research it is perhaps helpful (although Duff just describes the appendages as black).

male Anaspis frontalis showing antenna, hind tibia, fore tarsus, abodominal appendages (before and after clearing) and aedeagus (2 views), Ling Plantation, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 10th May 2022

This one was swept and was probaby identified using Levey.

Anaspis frontalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 25th May 2020

This one was potted off Wild Cherry and was probaby identified using Levey.

Anaspis frontalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 3rd June 2020