Blue beetle
| Blue beetle | ||||||||||||
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Oulema gallaeciana |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Oulema gallaeciana | ||||||||||||
| ( Heyden , 1879) |
The blue beetle ( Oulema gallaeciana ) is a beetle from the family of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and the subfamily of chirp beetles (Criocerinae).
features
The beetles reach a body length of three to four millimeters. The body is monochrome metallic blue, sometimes greenish or black. The antennae and legs are black, sometimes also with a metallic sheen. The pronotum is rounded on the sides without indentation in the middle section, in front of the base (the side towards the elytra) it is deeply constricted. It can be distinguished from the very similar species Oulema erichsonii and Oulema septentrionis by the puncture in this constriction. In Oulema gallaeciana this is smooth or only with individual larger, dash-like points and depressions in the middle on the sides, but a smooth web always remains at the edge. The other species are clearly dotted in the furrow. A genital morphological examination is recommended for a reliable determination in cases of doubt.
Occurrence and way of life
Oulema gallaeciana is widespread in the western Palearctic. The species is common across Europe, north to Denmark , central Norway and Finland, and northern Sweden. It is common in the British Isles. It is also found throughout the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Siberia, and northern and western Central Asia.
Colonize meadows and fields where the imagines sit on grass. They can be seen from April to August. The species occurs on all kinds of grasses (Poaceae). Both the beetles and the larvae feed on leaf tissue, which they eat in longitudinal strips. The larvae protect themselves from predators by wrapping themselves in their own droppings, which makes them slimy and can be mistaken for small slugs. Occasionally they are harmful in agriculture on cereals.
Taxonomy and systematics
The species was described by Heyden under the name Lema gallaeciana , common synonyms are Oulema obscura (original combination Crioceris obscura Stephens, 1831), Oulema lichenis (original combination Chrysomela lichenis Voet, 1806). Both descriptions are older, but the names are not available in terms of nomenclature, so Heyden's name must be used as a substitute name. Following a misinterpretation by Paykull, it was often confused with Lema cyanella (Linnaeus, 1758) in the past and is sometimes listed under this name in old works.
supporting documents
literature
- Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al .: Beetles of Central and Northwestern Europe: an identification book for biologists and nature lovers . Parey, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1 .
- Karl-Heinz Mohr: Chrysomelidae. in Heinz Freude, Karl Wilhelm Harde, Gustav Adolf Lohse (editor): The beetles of Central Europe. Volume 9. Cerambycidae Chrysomelidae. Goecke & Evers Verlag, Krefeld 1966.
- Genus Oulema Gozis. in Arved Lompe: The Beetles of Europe, an identification work on the Internet (www.coleo-net.de). last updated on June 23, 2017.
- Central European Oulema species. Open nature guides last changed on March 17th, 2014.
- Hüseyin Özdikmen & Semra Turgut The subfamily Criocerinae of Turkey (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with two new records and zoogeographical remarks. Munis Entomology & Zoology Journal 3 (1): 239-250.
- P. Jolivet, E. Petitpierre, TH Hsiao: Biology of Chrysomelidae. Series Entomologica 42. Springer Verlag, 2012. ISBN 978-94-009-3105-3 .
- G. Fuss, E. Geiser, R. Patzner (2005): On the host plants of several leaf beetles of Central Europe - the problem of fame and evidence. Coleopterological Rundschau 75: 359–371.
