Heather leaf beetle
| Heather leaf beetle | ||||||||||||
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Heather leaf beetle |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lochmaea suturalis | ||||||||||||
| Thomson , 1866 |
The heather leaf beetle ( Lochmaea suturalis ) is a species of beetle from the family of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). It feeds on heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) and other heath species.
features
The beetle is brown with a black seam on the wing cover, its length is five to six millimeters.
The adult beetle spends the winter sleeping in moss or leaves beneath the heather. After the beginning of spring, it can fly several kilometers. The beetles eat heather leaves and shoot tips, the larvae eat the leaves down to the outer skin.
Occurrence
The heather leaf beetle is found in northwest Europe, such as northwest Germany, the Netherlands , Belgium and the United Kingdom .
In some years there is gradation and massive damage to the heath areas. The mass reproduction is related to the amount of precipitation during the development of the larvae. If there are more than 43 days with over 0.1 millimeters of precipitation in each of three consecutive years from May to July, a mass increase is to be expected.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Identification key at kerbtier.de ( Memento from July 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Description of the Heide beetle in bio-gaertner.de , accessed on July 3, 2013
- ↑ a b Abstract at link.springer.com , accessed on July 3, 2013