Chrysolina sanguinolenta

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Chrysolina
  • Chrysolina sanguinolenta

Description

Size: 6.5-8.4mm
Basic colour: Elytra dark blue, sometimes with a violet reflection
Pattern colour: Elytra with yellowish to orange-red lateral margins.
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Chrysolina intermedia
, Confusion species: Chrysolina marginata

Biology

Status: Scarce (Notable A) and possibly declining - scattered, mostly in central and southern England
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Usually Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), sometimes Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
Overwintering: Unknown
Food: Leaves of host plants.
Other notes: Similar to C. intermedia, but ranges very different. Pronotum with front edge between the eyes slightly concave. Elytra less coarsely punctured than C. intermedia.

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Chrysolina latecincta ssp. Intermedia

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Chrysolina
  • Chrysolina latecincta
  • Chrysolina latecincta ssp. Intermedia

Description

Size: 7-11mm
Basic colour: Black, rarely with a faint leaden reflection.
Pattern colour: Elytra with orange-red lateral margins.
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Rare
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Now considered a subspecies of C. latecincta.

Biology

Status: RDB2 (Vulnerable); very localised in Scotland only.
Habitat: Usually cliff-tops, also saltmarsh.
Host plant: Several species of plantain (Plantago), toadflax (Linaria and Cymbalaria) and snapdragon (Antirrhinum).
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Leaves of host plants.
Other notes: Similar to C. sanguinolenta but ranges very different. Front edge of the pronotum between the eyes is straight or slightly convex.

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Chrysolina oricalcia

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Chrysolina
  • Chrysolina oricalcia

Description

Size: 6.5-9.1mm
Basic colour: Dark blue, sometimes dark violet, very dark green, deep bronze or black with a bronze reflection.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Chrysolina haemoptera

Biology

Status: Widespread but Scarce (Notable B) and may be declining in some parts of England.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Various Apiaceae such as cow parsley
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Adults feed on leaves and possibly pollen; larvae feed on leaves at night and in the evening.
Other notes: Similar to C. haemoptera. Pronotum trapezoidal with longitudinal furrows towards the sides. Elytral striae formed of sparse punctures.

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Chrysolina haemoptera

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Chrysolina
  • Chrysolina haemoptera

Description

Size: 5-9mm
Basic colour: Dull blue-black, no metallic reflection.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Chrysolina oricalcia

Biology

Status: Scarce (Notable B) and may be declining in some areas, especially away from the coast. Mainly southern England, scattered elsewhere.
Habitat: Usually, but not always, coastal. On sand dunes with herbaceous plants but little grass, undercliffs and chalk downs.
Host plant: Plantains (Plantago), especially Buck's-horn Plantain (P. coronopus)
Overwintering: Adults and larvae overwinter.
Food: Host plants.
Other notes: Similar to C. oricalcia. Pronotum without lateral longitudinal furrows; the sides are straight (looking from above) and it narrows cone-like towards the front. Elytral punctures largely confused, partly forming irregular double rows. May be found on and under the host plant.

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Chrysolina herbacea

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Chrysolina
  • Chrysolina herbacea
Common name
Mint Leaf Beetle

Description

Size: 7-11mm
Basic colour: Metallic bright green, sometimes with a gold-purple reflection; varies to golden-red to deep blue.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Chrysolina graminis

Biology

Status: Widely scattered but mainly in central southern England.
Habitat: Various wet habitats
Host plant: Various Lamiaceae, especially mints.
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Leaves of host plants.
Other notes: Very similar to the rarer C. graminis, but elytral suture is metallic green or brassy.

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