Agelastica alni
| Agelastica alni | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | A. alni
|
| Binomial name | |
| Agelastica alni | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Adimonia violacea Laicharting, 1781 | |
Agelastica alni, the alder leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae) in the genus Agelastica. Agelastica alni is distributed in Europe, the Caucasuses, Siberia, north-eastern Kazakhstan, and in the 19th century was introduced to the USA (Kolk & Starzyk, 1996).
Previously rare, and considered extinct in the UK, since being found in Manchester in 2004 it appears to be on the increase in the North West of England. The beetle and the beetle's larvae host on the grey or speckled alder (Alnus incana) and to a lesser extent black alder (Alnus glutinosa), but will be found on hazel, birch and/or hornbeam if there is a shortage of food. Causing large holes and gaps from the end of April onwards, which are produced by the larvae in the first two stages, but the main damage is only produced by larvae in the third stage.
Description
The alder leaf beetle is a relatively small beetle, around 6–7 mm, black or metallic blue in colour. The larvae are normally black.
-
Alder leaf beetle laying eggs. -
Larva of the alder leaf beetle -
The skeletonized remains of a black alder -
Video of a pregnant female on alder
-
Video of a Agelastica alni in Germany
References
- [1]
- http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id11907/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20091219073802/http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com:80/cgi-bin/res.pl?keyword=Alder+Leaf+Beetle&offset=0
- http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/alder%20flea%20beetle.htm
- https://web.archive.org/web/20100629050131/http://forestecology.cfans.umn.edu/Oleksyn.NewPhy.1998.pdf
- Kolk A, Starzyk JR. 1996. Atlas of harmful forest insects. Warsaw, Poland: MULTICO (in Polish).