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Longitarsus agilis

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus agilis

Description

Size: 2.5-3mm
Basic colour: Pale yellow-brown
Pattern colour: Usually none but sometimes elytral suture partly narrowly reddened (especially towards the rear), sometimes with a variably sized bold black stripe; elytra sometimes weakly darkened with weakly linear marks near the front and sides.
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour with hind femora black, sometimes brown.
Confusion species: Longitarsus rutilus

SW Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Scarce (Notable A); all records from England south of the Wash
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Figworts Scrophularia spp., sometimes on mulleins Verbascum spp.
Overwintering: As adults and possibly larvae
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae at roots.

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Longitarsus aeruginosus

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus aeruginosus

Description

Size: 2.5-3mm
Basic colour: Yellowish to reddish or brownish
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour (hind femora variably darkened)
Confusion species: Longitarsus succineus

Western Palaearctic (excluding Scandinavia & Baltic states). Suspecies algiricus known from North Africa.

Biology

Status: Rare, a few records from southern England only; last recorded in Dorset in 1925.
RDB Category: Endangered (RDB1)
Habitat: Coastal & riverbanks
Host plant: Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) & common comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Overwintering: As adults that emerged in autumn.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae at roots
Other notes: Long attenae with elongate segments.

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Longitarsus absynthii

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Longitarsus
  • Longitarsus absynthii

Description

Size: 1.4-1.8mm
Basic colour: Pitchy-red to almost black (i.e. elytra darker than pronotum)
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: Pitchy-red
Leg colour: Front and mid-femora pitchy-red, hind femora darker/blackish

Biology

Status: Scarce (Notable A), in SE England only, but possibly under-recorded.
Habitat: River banks, estuaries, saltmarshes, coastal cliffs, and rough ground near the sea.
Host plant: Sea wormwood Seriphidium maritimum and wormwoods/mugwort Artemisia spp. Occasionally on other plants.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae at roots.
Other notes: Adults parasitised by an unidentified nematode.

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Lochmaea suturalis

Size
4.3-6mm
Basic colour
Brown to dark ochre-coloured or occasionally dark brown-black.
Pattern colour
Elytral suture usually narrowly darkened. Head black with a yellowish to brownish spot in front of the eyes, although this may be difficult to see.
Leg colour
As basic colour

Lochmaea crataegi

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Lochmaea
  • Lochmaea crataegi
Common name
Hawthorn Leaf Beetle

Description

Size: 3.7-5.5mm
Basic colour: Orange to red-brown
Pattern colour: Elytra usually with one or two black stripes or elongated spots. Head orange to red with dark markings.
Number of spots: See pattern colour
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Western Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Widespread and common
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Hawthorn; adults sometimes found on other trees and shrubs, and if so, often on blossoms.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Hawthorn. New generation adults on leaves; overwintered adults mainly on pollen; larvae on fruits, mining them which causes them to go brown and soft, and fail to set seed.

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Lochmaea caprea

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Lochmaea
  • Lochmaea caprea
Common name
Willow Leaf Beetle

Description

Size: 4-6mm
Basic colour: Brownish, ochre-coloured. Head black.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Lochmaea suturalis

Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Widespread and common
Habitat: Various, mainly wetlands
Host plant: Various trees, usually willows and birches
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on host leaves; larvae on willow leaves, although they have also been found feeding on growing tips of crowberry Empetrum nigrum (causing die-back)
Other notes: Adults parasitised by Medina collaris (Diptera: Tachinidae). Adults and larvae predated by pentatomid bugs and aphid-feeding ladybirds. Adults may be consumed by fish such as perch.

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Lochmaea suturalis

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Lochmaea
  • Lochmaea suturalis
Common name
Heather Beetle

Description

Size: 4.3-6mm
Basic colour: Brown to dark ochre-coloured or occasionally dark brown-black.
Pattern colour: Elytral suture usually narrowly darkened. Head black with a yellowish to brownish spot in front of the eyes, although this may be difficult to see.
Number of spots: None (apart from the tiny one on the head)
Pronotoum: As basic colour, shinier than in L. caprea
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Lochmaea caprea

Palaearctic; introduced to New Zealand for biological control of heather which is invasive there.

Biology

Status: Widespread
Habitat: Anywhere with heathers or heaths plus a damp understory of moss or leaves for egg-laying and pupation.
Host plant: Heather Calluna vulgaris, rarely heaths (Erica spp)
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on young shoots; larvae on leaves and stems.
Other notes: Economic importance due to damage to heather on managed grouse moors and nature conservation areas.

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