Taxonomy
- Polyphaga
- Chrysomeloidea
- Chrysomelidae
- Cryptocephalus
- Cryptocephalus parvulus
Images
Source: Roger Key
Description
Size: 2.8-4.5mm
Basic colour: Metallic blue or purple.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour with a dark metallic blue reflection and dark brown tarsi.
Confusion species: Cryptocephalus punctiger
Basic colour: Metallic blue or purple.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour with a dark metallic blue reflection and dark brown tarsi.
Confusion species: Cryptocephalus punctiger
Biology
Status: Scarce (Notable B); scattered, mainly in England.
Habitat: Calcareous grassland with scrub, chalk pits, commons and broad-leaved woodland.
Host plant: Usually young birches; also aspen, oaks, hazels, willows and buckthorn.
Overwintering: Five larval instars; 1st and 2nd overwinter, then 2nd and 3rd diapause during the summer, followed by the 5th and final instar overwintering a second time.
Food: Leaves of host plants, mainly birch - larvae may prefer old/decaying leaves.
Other notes: Similar to C. punctiger but without yellow markings.
Habitat: Calcareous grassland with scrub, chalk pits, commons and broad-leaved woodland.
Host plant: Usually young birches; also aspen, oaks, hazels, willows and buckthorn.
Overwintering: Five larval instars; 1st and 2nd overwinter, then 2nd and 3rd diapause during the summer, followed by the 5th and final instar overwintering a second time.
Food: Leaves of host plants, mainly birch - larvae may prefer old/decaying leaves.
Other notes: Similar to C. punctiger but without yellow markings.