Taxonomy
- Polyphaga
- Chrysomeloidea
- Chrysomelidae
- Timarcha
- Timarcha goettingensis
Common name
Small Bloody-nosed Beetle
Images
Source: John Walters
Source: Charles David
Source: Lech Borowiec
Description
Size: 8-13mm
Basic colour: Shiny (at least slightly) - blue-black, violet-copper or black.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Chrysolina violacea
, Confusion species: Timarcha tenebricosa
Basic colour: Shiny (at least slightly) - blue-black, violet-copper or black.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Chrysolina violacea
, Confusion species: Timarcha tenebricosa
Biology
Status: Not threatened, but may have declined outside southern England.
Habitat: Various open habitats
Host plant: Bedstraws (Galium), crosswort (Cruciata laevipes) and woodruffs (Asperula)
Overwintering: Adults may be buried in winter; they may be active during mild winter periods.
Food: Adults and larvae feed on leaves and stems of bedstraws
Other notes: Random, dense, moderately-sized punctures. After rounded side angles, pronotum constricts less sharply than in T. tenebricosa. Superficially similar to Chrysolina violacea, but this has orange-brown tarsi and palpi (with tarsi usually much paler than the rest of the legs - femora and tibiae are metallic purple).
Habitat: Various open habitats
Host plant: Bedstraws (Galium), crosswort (Cruciata laevipes) and woodruffs (Asperula)
Overwintering: Adults may be buried in winter; they may be active during mild winter periods.
Food: Adults and larvae feed on leaves and stems of bedstraws
Other notes: Random, dense, moderately-sized punctures. After rounded side angles, pronotum constricts less sharply than in T. tenebricosa. Superficially similar to Chrysolina violacea, but this has orange-brown tarsi and palpi (with tarsi usually much paler than the rest of the legs - femora and tibiae are metallic purple).