These pictures were sent to me by Dr Simcha Finkelman. The larvae are developing on the grass roots of lawns in the southern Arava. The adults are strongly attracted to light. The species could be one of two: Phyllognathus silenus or P. excavatus. Both occur in the Arava valley.

This is one that I bred out from the larval stage feeding it on cabbage leaves. Unfortunately the elytrae became deformed during emergence.

For more information on this insect's close and distant relatives, why not visit my check-list of Israeliinsects?