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Mniophila muscorum

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Mniophila
  • Mniophila muscorum
Common name
Moss Flea Beetle

Description

Size: 1-1.5mm
Basic colour: Black, faintly metallic
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Western Palaearctic, including Caucasus, Georgia and Turkey.

Biology

Status: Widely scattered but Scarce (Notable B); probably under-recorded.
Habitat: Mosses in various habitats/situations.
Host plant: Mosses
Overwintering: Unknown
Food: Uncertain but it is likely that larvae and adults feed on mosses.
Other notes: Adults flightless/wingless. Adults parasitised by a wasp (probably a braconid); larvae parasitised by a fungus Muiaria sp.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Mantura rustica

Size
2-2.8mm
Basic colour
Dark reddish-brown
Pattern colour
Rear third of elytra (except suture) usually yellowish (sometimes this feature is absent)
Leg colour
Orange to brown, hind femora darkened

Mantura matthewsii

Size
2-2.7mm
Basic colour
Metallic blue, bronze-green or coppery; sometimes bicolourous (elytra and pronotum different colours but a combination of blue, green, blackish or metallic/bronze/coppery)
Pattern colour
None
Leg colour
Red-brown, hind femora darkened

Mantura chrysanthemi

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Mantura
  • Mantura chrysanthemi

Description

Size: 1.8-2.7mm
Basic colour: Dark brown with a bronze reflection, sometimes red-brown with a faint metallic sheen.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: Reddish-brown to brown, hind femora may be darkened, sometimes only slightly.

Western Palaearctic, including Cape Verde and parts of North Africa; introduced into Canada.

Biology

Status: Widely scattered but very local; Scarce (Notable A)
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella), common sorrel (R. acetosa) and beet (Beta vulgaris)
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae mine leaves of R. acetosella

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Mantura rustica

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Mantura
  • Mantura rustica

Description

Size: 2-2.8mm
Basic colour: Dark reddish-brown
Pattern colour: Rear third of elytra (except suture) usually yellowish (sometimes this feature is absent)
Number of spots: See pattern
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: With the head, metallic green or bluish.
Leg colour: Orange to brown, hind femora darkened

Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Widespread but Scarce (Notable B) in England, Wales and southern Scotland.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Docks especially broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and sorrels, also knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare) and rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum)
Overwintering: As adults among grass roots, in haystacks and in rotten ash twigs
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae are leaf-mioners (broad galleries)

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Mantura obtusata

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Mantura
  • Mantura obtusata

Description

Size: 1.8-2.6mm
Basic colour: Black with a dark greenish to bluish reflection.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: Reddish-brown, hind femora variably darkened

Western Palaearctic, including Caucasus and possibly Siberia.

Biology

Status: Widespread but local, not recorded from Ireland; Scarce (Notable B)
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Common sorrel (Rumex acetosa), sometimes also sheep's sorrel (R. acetosella)
Overwintering: As adults in grass tussocks
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae as leaf-miners (almost straight galleries)
Other notes: Larvae parasitised by the eulophid wasp Necremnus leucarthros, eggs by a mymarid wasp Anaphes sp.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Mantura matthewsii

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Mantura
  • Mantura matthewsii

Description

Size: 2-2.7mm
Basic colour: Metallic blue, bronze-green or coppery; sometimes bicolourous (elytra and pronotum different colours but a combination of blue, green, blackish or metallic/bronze/coppery)
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: See basic colour. Shiny and hood-like, projecting forwards over the head.
Leg colour: Red-brown, hind femora darkened

SW Palaearctic (including SE Europe & Caucasus). May be present in Morocco but this is uncertain/unconfirmed.

Biology

Status: Widespread but local, not recorded from Ireland.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Rock-roses Helianthemum spp.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae as leaf-miners (straight galleries)
Other notes: Larvae parasitised by the eulophid wasp Necremnus folia

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Macroplea mutica

Size
5-7mm
Basic colour
Blackish and orange-yellow to orange-brown
Pattern colour
Elytra with thin alternating longitudinal lines of black and the base colour
Leg colour
As basic colour, tarsi at least partly darkened.
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