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Donacia versicolorea

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Donacia
  • Donacia versicolorea

Description

Size: 6.2-8.9mm
Basic colour: Variably dark to blackish, often with tiny pin-prick reflections of light, often giving the appearance of (e.g.) gold speckles.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Donacia crassipes

Palaearctic as far east as Kamchatka.

Biology

Status: Widespread but not common
Habitat: Various still and flowing water-bodies where there are pondweeds
Host plant: Pondweeds, Potamogeton spp.
Overwintering: Two-year life cycle.
Food: Adults on leaves.
Other notes: Elytra relatively flattened (like D. crassipes) but smaller and with a later season (July/August).

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Donacia thalassina

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Donacia
  • Donacia thalassina

Description

Size: 6.6-8.3mm
Basic colour: Shiny bronze, usually with a coppery tinge, sometimes greyish or greenish on the pronotum and elytra.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Donacia impressa
, Confusion species: Donacia simplex

Palaearctic. Records from Japan may be incorrect.

Biology

Status: Widespread but uncommon. Scarce (Notable B).
Habitat: By standing water and in marshy areas.
Host plant: Sedges and a range of other water plants.
Overwintering: Three-year life cycle, overwintering as 2nd instar larvae (winter 1) and 5th instar larvae (winter 2). Then, hibernation may occur as pupae or as adults in cocoons.
Food: Adults on pollen from May and on leaves later in the summer. Larvae on roots.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Donacia sparganii

Size
6-8.5mm
Basic colour
Metallic copper; elytra with an oily-looking sheen and a pinkish or greenish reflection in sunlight; sometimes overall darker or more clearly green.
Pattern colour
None
Leg colour
As basic colour

Donacia sparganii

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Donacia
  • Donacia sparganii

Description

Size: 6-8.5mm
Basic colour: Metallic copper; elytra with an oily-looking sheen and a pinkish or greenish reflection in sunlight; sometimes overall darker or more clearly green.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour

Western Palaearctic.

Biology

Status: Scattered in England, Wales and SW Scotland, not recorded from Ireland. Scarce (Notable A).
Habitat: River-bank vegetation, usually on floating leaves of bur-reeds (Sparganium spp.) trailing in the water. Therefore often out of reach and binoculars (or a boat) can be useful.
Host plant: Bur-reeds (Sparganium spp.), also found on other plants.
Overwintering: Unclear, though there is a two-year life cycle.
Food: Adults possibly on pollen, larvae at roots.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

Donacia simplex

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Donacia
  • Donacia simplex

Description

Size: 5.4-9.4mm
Basic colour: Metallic copper, usually 'frosted', sometimes with a red, green or grey tinge.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Donacia impressa, Donacia thalassina

Palaearctic, including North Africa. Records from Japan may be incorrect.

Biology

Status: Widespread and common.
Habitat: Various waterside/wetland locations where the host plant grows.
Host plant: Various bur-reeds Sparganium spp; also found on other waterside/wetland plants.
Overwintering: Probably as new generation adults in mud or submerged reed stems.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae at roots.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map

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