Tansy leaf beetle
Tansy leaf beetle | ||||||||||||
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![]() Tansy leaf beetle ( Galeruca tanaceti ), female |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Galeruca tanaceti | ||||||||||||
Linnaeus , 1758 |
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
- Galeruca tanaceti at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved September 26, 2011
- Comparison of males and females