1. Home

Longitarsus flavicornis

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus flavicornis

Description

Size: 2.5-3mm
Basic colour: Pale orange to reddish
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Longitarsus jacobaeae

SW Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Common and widespread south of a line from the Mersey to the Humber estuaries. One old Irish record from Galway.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Ragworts Senecio spp.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves (especially young rosettes), larvae at roots.
Other notes: Separation from L. jacobaeae requires dissection of the aedeagus

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Longitarsus ferrugineus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus ferrugineus
Common name
Mint Flea Beetle

Description

Size: 1.7-2.4mm
Basic colour: Orange-yellow
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: Orange (as is the head), while the eltra are yellowish
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Longitarsus membranaceus

Western Palaearctic; introduced in North America.

Biology

Status: Recent records from Suffolk and Essex; older records scattered from the Wash to Land's End and SW Ireland. Endangered (RDB 1)
RDB Category: Endangered (RDB1)
Habitat: Damp conditions in various habitats.
Host plant: Mints (Mentha spp.), sometimes gypsyworts (Lycopus spp.) and germanders (Teucrium spp.)
Overwintering: As eggs or larvae, probably not as adults.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae on roots.
Other notes: Wing development variable (vestigial or fully-winged) and it is possible that only females are fully winged. Carabid beetle Pterostichus lucublandus predates adults and larvae, therevid fly Psilocephala haemorrhoidalis pedates pupae.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Longitarsus curtus

Size
1.7-2mm
Basic colour
Yellowish to brownish
Pattern colour
Elytral suture slightly darkened reddish-brownish. Head dark brown to black.
Leg colour
As basic coliur except hind femora darkened (brownish to blackish)

Longitarsus brunneus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus brunneus

Description

Size: 2-2.5mm
Basic colour: Red-brown
Pattern colour: Elytral suture sometimes narrowly darkened.
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Palaearctic, possibly also in North Africa.

Biology

Status: Widely and sparsely scattered. Scarce (Notable B), no records from Ireland.
Habitat: Usually wetlands (inland and littoral), including marshes, fens and bogs.
Host plant: Common meadow-rue (Thalictrum flavum), French meadow-rue (T. aquilegiifolium) and sea aster (Aster tripolium) - possibly also other Asteraceae.
Overwintering: As adults from the 2nd partial generation each year.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae at roots.
Other notes: Adults parasitised by an unidentified braconid wasp larva, possible a species of Perilitus.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Longitarsus exoletus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus exoletus

Description

Size: 2.3-3.2mm
Basic colour: Yellowish to reddish-brownish
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour but usually a little darker than the elytra
Leg colour: As basic colour, hind femora darkened

Western Palaearctic (subspecies megaloleucus in North Africa).

Biology

Status: Widespread and locally common
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Various Boraginaceae
Overwintering: As larvae
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae at roots
Other notes: Wing development variable - most have reduced wings, some are vestigial, others fully winged.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Longitarsus dorsalis

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus dorsalis

Description

Size: 2-3mm
Basic colour: Black or very dark blackish-brown
Pattern colour: Usually with yellow to reddish bands along the outer edges of the elytra
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: Usually as basic colour, sometimes paler
Leg colour: As basic colour

SW Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Widespread in England south of the Humber; not recorded from Scotland, Ireland or Wales. Scarce (Notable B)
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Various Asteraceae, mainly ragworts Senecio spp. and especially the common ragwort S. jacobaea
Overwintering: As adults (e.g. under bark)
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae in roots

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Longitarsus curtus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus curtus

Description

Size: 1.7-2mm
Basic colour: Yellowish to brownish
Pattern colour: Elytral suture slightly darkened reddish-brownish. Head dark brown to black.
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: Yellowish to reddish or brownish
Leg colour: As basic coliur except hind femora darkened (brownish to blackish)

Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Widely but sparsely scattered; In Ireland, only one old record in NI. Scarce (Notable A)
Habitat: Grasslands
Host plant: Various Boraginaceae
Overwintering: As adults and possibly autumn generation larvae
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae probably at roots

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Subscribe to