Altica carinthiaca Weise, 1888

Taxonomy

  • Polyphaga
  • Chrysomeloidea
  • Chrysomelidae
  • Altica
  • Altica carinthiaca

Description

Size: 3-4mm
Basic colour: Deep metallic blue.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Spot fusions: None
Other colour forms: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Altica oleracea
, Confusion species: Altica palustris

Recognised as British in 2000, though specimens attributable to it have now been found in collections going back at least as far as 1939. It has previously been confused with A. palustris and A. pusilla var. montana.

Biology

Status: Not threatened
Habitat: Fens, marshes, parkland, meadows, heathland.
Host plant: Lathyrus pratensis
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Makes elongate slits in leaves of host plant.
Other notes: Southern half of England.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)

Distribution Map