Hippuriphila modeeri

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Hippuriphila
  • Hippuriphila modeeri
Common name
Horsetail Flea Beetle

Description

Size: 1.8-2.5mm
Basic colour: Dark brown to blackish of deep bronze
Pattern colour: Tips of elytra yellowish-brownish
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: Red-brown, hind femore darkened.

Holarctic

Biology

Status: Widespread (no recent records from Ireland)
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Horsetails (Equisetum spp)
Overwintering: Adults hibernate in moss and grass tussocks
Food: Adults on leaves and stems, larvae on young stems (not on roots)

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Hypocassida subferruginea

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Hypocassida
  • Hypocassida subferruginea

Description

Size: 4.6-5.9mm
Basic colour: Yellowish, reddish-brown or brown. Vague metallic reflection.
Pattern colour: Small brown or black spots (variable)
Number of spots: Variable
Spot fusions: Sometimes
Pronotoum: As basic colour with basal margin blackish.
Leg colour: Yellow

Palaearctic. Previous UK reports/records from Devon and Glamorgan.

Biology

Status: No records since the 19th century; probably extinct in the UK. Listed in the Red Data Book as 'no post-1900 records' but otherwise uncategorised.
Habitat: Field margins, disturbed ground, wetlands; possibly also coastal.
Host plant: Convolvulaceae, especially field bindweed Convolvulus arvensis.
Overwintering: Unknown
Food: Host plant

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Hermaeophaga mercurialis

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Hermaeophaga
  • Hermaeophaga mercurialis
Common name
Dogs-Mercury Flea Beetle

Description

Size: 2.3-3mm
Basic colour: Blue-black
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Western Palaearctic.

Short-oval, highly convex dorsally.

Biology

Status: Widespread and fairly common in southern England/Wales; isolated recent record from Cumbria.
Habitat: Sunny glades in various woodland types, hedgerows, calcareous grassland, heathland, commons, meadows, quarries.
Host plant: Dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis)
Overwintering: Adults hibernate in tussocks and moss, and among fallen leaves.
Food: Adults on host leaves, larvae on leaves and roots.
Other notes: Adults have vestigial wings therefore it is unlikely they are active fliers, despite having been captured in flight-interception traps (it is unknown whether they crawled/fell, were wind-blown or able to fly weakly)

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Galerucella tenella

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Galerucella
  • Galerucella tenella

Description

Size: 3-4mm
Basic colour: Dusky yellow to pale brown.
Pattern colour: Sometimes a central dark spot on the pronotum
Number of spots: See pattern
Pronotoum: As basic colour, sometimes with a dark spot
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Galerucella pusilla

Palaearctic

Biology

Status: Common and widespread
Habitat: Various, mainly wetlands but also drier locations.
Host plant: Various Rosaceae
Overwintering: Adult hibernate in moss and grass tussocks, and under leaves.
Food: Underside of host leaves.
Other notes: Possible chalcid wasp parasite of larvae, but little known.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Galerucella pusilla

Size
3.5-4.6mm
Basic colour
Yellowish-brown
Pattern colour
Small dark shoulder spot rarely extending into a longitudinal band along the side; occasionally a clear dark pronotal spot but usually not.
Leg colour
As basic colour