Tansy leaf beetle

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Tansy leaf beetle
Tansy leaf beetle (Galeruca tanaceti), female

Tansy leaf beetle ( Galeruca tanaceti ), female

Systematics
Order : Beetle (Coleoptera)
Subordination : Polyphaga
Family : Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae)
Subfamily : Galerucinae
Genre : Galeruca
Type : Tansy leaf beetle
Scientific name
Galeruca tanaceti
Linnaeus , 1758
male
Females laying eggs
Egg clutches (eggs coated with a secretion)
newly hatched beetle larva
adult beetle larva

The tansy leaf beetle ( Galeruca tanaceti ) is a beetle from the family of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). The specific epithet tanaceti refers to the tansy ( Tanacetum ).

features

The beetles reach a length of six to ten millimeters. They have a matt black color and are hairless. The head, the strongly uneven pronotum and the elytra are provided with numerous deep points. Ribs are indicated alongside the clearly edged elytra. The edge also runs around the shoulders and is also recognizable on the pronotum. At its base, however, it is less pronounced than at the front. The females become slightly longer than the males and can have a greatly enlarged abdomen at the time of oviposition.

Occurrence

The species occurs all over Europe and Asia , in North America it was introduced. The beetles can be found from June to September in dry and sunlit places.

Way of life

The beetles feed on many plants of the families of the daisy family (Asteraceae), cabbage family (Brassicaceae), carnation plants (Caryophyllaceae), carding plants (teasel), lily family (Liliaceae) labiates (Lamiaceae), Knöterichgewächsen (Polygonaceae) and nightshade family (Solanaceae).

development

The females lay their eggs in clutches of around 60 pieces in autumn on the stems, leaves or flowers of dry grasses and other herbaceous plants that do not belong to the forage plants. They cover the eggs with a secretion that protects them from predators. This turns dark soon after application. The larvae only hatch after winter. They reach a length of 14 millimeters and pupate in the ground. Both they and the eggs contain anthraquinone , which presumably protects them from predators. The new generation hatches from March to May of the next year. The adults take a diapause in midsummer .

The eggs of the beetle are often of Oomyzus galerucivorus , a wasp from the family of Eulophidae , parasitized .

literature

  • Harde, Severa: Der Kosmos Käferführer, The Central European Beetles, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-06959-1

Web links

Commons : Tansy Leaf Beetle ( Galeruca tanaceti )  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files