Aphthona melancholica

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Aphthona
  • Aphthona melancholica

Description

Size: 2.3-2.5mm (possibly from 1.8mm)
Basic colour: Shiny black, sometimes dark blue.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: Yellow (see 'other notes' below).

Biology

Status: Widespread, though absent from Scotland.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Wood spurge and Mediterranean spurge; also hazels and oaks.
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Adults feed on spurge leaves.
Other notes: Broad/oval. Elytra with clear deep punctures. Antennae usually yellowish. Femora, tibiae and tarsi yellow expect for the last three tarsal segments (brown).

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Aphthona lutescens

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Aphthona
  • Aphthona lutescens

Description

Size: 2.0-2.5mm
Basic colour: Yellowish
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Aphthona nigriceps

Biology

Status: Widely scattered.
Habitat: Wetlands of various types.
Host plant: Mainly purple-loosestrife; also marsh conquefoil, meadowsweet, cloudberry and woody nightshade.
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Adults feed on leaves of purple-loosestrife; larvae probably root-feeders.
Other notes: Head yellowish, pale brown or reddish-brown. Antennae, plus hind tarsi and femore darkened apically.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Aphthona herbigrada

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Aphthona
  • Aphthona herbigrada

Description

Size: 1.9-2.2mm
Basic colour: Bright metallic green, rarely bluish
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Rare
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Biology

Status: Widespread but patchy
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Usually rock-roses Helianthemum, sometimes gorse and thyme.
Overwintering: Adults overwinter, possibly also larvae.
Food: Adults feed on rock-rose leaves, larvae probably root-feeders.
Other notes: Slender form overall; relatively long antennae.

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Distribution Map

Aphthona euphorbiae

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Aphthona
  • Aphthona euphorbiae
Common name
Large Flax Flea Beetle, or Flax and Linseed Flea Beetle

Description

Size: 1.8-2.0mm
Basic colour: Shiny black or dark metallic greenish to bronze.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Aphthona ?atratula

Biology

Status: Widespread.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Various, though flax is favoured.
Overwintering: Adults hibernate under bushes and among leaves.
Food: Adults feed on leaves and possibly pollen, also new stems, seedlings and cotyledons; larvae feed on roots.
Other notes: Head dull, pronotum finely punctured and usually with weak longitudinal wrinkles.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Aphthona atrocaerulea

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Aphthona
  • Aphthona atrocaerulea

Description

Size: 1.8-2.1mm
Basic colour: Black head & pronotum; elytra black with violet reflection.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: Black
Leg colour: Black

Biology

Status: Widely scattered.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Various spurges, especially cypress spurge; also gorses.
Overwintering: Adults hibernate in moss.
Food: Adults and larvae feed on spurge leaves; larvae probably feed on the roots.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map