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Cryptocephalus violaceus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Cryptocephalus
  • Cryptocephalus violaceus

Description

Size: 4-6mm
Basic colour: Metallic dark blue, usually with a green or violet tinge.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Biology

Status: Known only from two sites in England, and not recorded since 1864. Possibly extinct.
Habitat: Deciduous woodland
Host plant: Various (herbs and deciduous trees)
Overwintering: Unknown
Food: Unknown in Britain.

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Cryptocephalus sexpunctatus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Cryptocephalus
  • Cryptocephalus sexpunctatus
Common name
Six-spotted Pot Beetle

Description

Size: 4.5-6.5mm
Basic colour: Black and red/orange-red
Pattern colour: Black spots on red/orange-red elytra
Number of spots: 3 on each elytron, sometimes fused into transverse bands.
Spot fusions: Sometimes
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: Black, usually with a variable red/orange-red mark and lateral bands.
Leg colour: Darkened; brownish, sometimes tinged with other colours.

Known from a few widely scattered sites in England and Scotland, it has a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) page here.

Biology

Status: Vulnerable (RDB2); a UK BAP species.
Habitat: Calcareous grassland with dense scrub (especially on west-facing slopes), and broad-leaved woodland.
Host plant: Various, especially trees and shrubs.
Overwintering: Life cycle takes two years.
Food: Adults feed on leaves of trees, and may also feed on pollen; larvae feed on hazel catkins and leaves, plus the leaves of low-growing plants, possibly with other food sources as well.
Other notes: Elytra sometimes black with a red spot.

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Cryptocephalus primarius

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Cryptocephalus
  • Cryptocephalus primarius
Common name
Rock-rose Pot Beetle

Description

Size: 4.5-8.0mm
Basic colour: Black and red/orange-red
Pattern colour: Black spots on the red/orange-red elytra
Number of spots: Five on each elytron
Pronotoum: Shiny black
Leg colour: Blackish - may be tinged with other colours.

The largest british Cryptocephalus - distinctively patterned but rare with a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) page here.

Biology

Status: Endangered (RDB1), UKBAP species. Widely scattered with recent records only from a few locations in S. England.
Habitat: Calcareous grassland, especially warm, sheltered, dry south-facing slopes.
Host plant: Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium)
Overwintering: Laravl development (5 instars) takes about one year.
Food: Adults feed on petals, anthers and pollen of the host plant; larvae feed on stems and leaves.

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Cryptocephalus punctiger

Size
2.4-3.5mm
Basic colour
Black and dark metallic blue
Pattern colour
Head usually with yellow markings on the top. Pronotum black with front and rear angles yellow. Elytra black with faint metallic blue reflection.
Leg colour
Yellow to pale brown; sometimes partly dark brown.

Cryptocephalus punctiger

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Cryptocephalus
  • Cryptocephalus punctiger
Common name
Blue Pepper-pot Beetle

Description

Size: 2.4-3.5mm
Basic colour: Black and dark metallic blue
Pattern colour: Head usually with yellow markings on the top. Pronotum black with front and rear angles yellow. Elytra black with faint metallic blue reflection.
Number of spots: None, though note pattern of pronotum.
Pronotoum: Black with front and rear angles yellow.
Leg colour: Yellow to pale brown; sometimes partly dark brown.
Confusion species: Cryptocephalus parvulus

Scarce, with a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) page here.

Biology

Status: Scarce (Notable A) - very scattered and appears to have declined. A UK BAP species.
Habitat: Broadleaved woodlands and commons.
Host plant: Birch saplings and other trees
Overwintering: Unknown
Food: Birch leaves
Other notes: Similar to C. parvulus but with yellow markings.

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Cryptocephalus parvulus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Cryptocephalus
  • Cryptocephalus parvulus

Description

Size: 2.8-4.5mm
Basic colour: Metallic blue or purple.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour with a dark metallic blue reflection and dark brown tarsi.
Confusion species: Cryptocephalus punctiger

Biology

Status: Scarce (Notable B); scattered, mainly in England.
Habitat: Calcareous grassland with scrub, chalk pits, commons and broad-leaved woodland.
Host plant: Usually young birches; also aspen, oaks, hazels, willows and buckthorn.
Overwintering: Five larval instars; 1st and 2nd overwinter, then 2nd and 3rd diapause during the summer, followed by the 5th and final instar overwintering a second time.
Food: Leaves of host plants, mainly birch - larvae may prefer old/decaying leaves.
Other notes: Similar to C. punctiger but without yellow markings.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

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