Taxonomy
- Polyphaga
- Chrysomeloidea
- Chrysomelidae
- Aphthona
- Aphthona ?atratula
Description
Size: 1.5-1.7mm
Basic colour: Black with a weak metallic reflection.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Aphthona euphorbiae
Basic colour: Black with a weak metallic reflection.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Aphthona euphorbiae
Previously referred to as A. atrovirens (Pope 1977), but this species does not occur in Britain (Cox 2000); therefore, British specimens of A. atrovirens are likely to be A. atratula. Some continental European workers have synonimised A. atratula with A. euphorbiae but in Britain these are considered separate species.
Cox, M.L. (2000). Progress report on the Bruchidae/Chrysomelidae recording scheme. The Coleopterist 9(2): 65-74.
Pope, R.D. (1977). A check list of British insects. 2nd ed. Part 3: Coleoptera and Strepsiptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 11(3).
Biology
Status: Widely scattered.
Habitat: Woodland rides, downland, chalky places and quarries.
Host plant: Rock-roses, cypress spurge, wood sage, wild marjoram, fairy flax.
Overwintering: Adults overwinter though location unknown.
Food: Adults feed on leaves of host plants; larvae probably feed on the roots.
Other notes: Usually smaller than A. euphorbiae and the adults of A. atratula lack humeral calli on the elytra (these are usually present in A. euphorbiae).
Habitat: Woodland rides, downland, chalky places and quarries.
Host plant: Rock-roses, cypress spurge, wood sage, wild marjoram, fairy flax.
Overwintering: Adults overwinter though location unknown.
Food: Adults feed on leaves of host plants; larvae probably feed on the roots.
Other notes: Usually smaller than A. euphorbiae and the adults of A. atratula lack humeral calli on the elytra (these are usually present in A. euphorbiae).