Blue willow beetle

Last updated

Blue willow beetle
Phratora vulgatissima01.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Chrysomelidae
Genus: Phratora
Species:
P. vulgatissima
Binomial name
Phratora vulgatissima

The blue willow beetle (Phratora vulgatissima), formerly Phyllodecta vulgatissima, is a herbivourous beetle of the family Chrysomelidae. It is dark with a metallic sheen that ranges from a blue color to bronze. It is distinguished from P. vitellinae by the latter more commonly displaying bronze coloration. European Phratora species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia. [1] The larvae undergo three instar stages from hatching to pupation. [2] This beetle is found throughout Europe and Scandinavia, [3] and occurs in China. [4]

Contents

Ecology

The blue willow beetle is found on willow (Salix) species, whose leaves contain low levels of salicylates [5] [6] in fens, carrs and on river banks, but also often in willow short rotation coppice and other agricultural landscapes. [7] It often aggregates on host plants. [8] On Salix cinerea , it prefers and is more common on female than male trees despite higher egg predation exerted by the common flowerbug Anthocoris nemorum on female trees. [9] It is univoltine in Sweden [2] but can produce multiple generations per year in other parts of its distribution range. [10] Proliferation of larvae and egg production varies with vegetation. [11] It overwinters under lichens on trees and under tree bark. [12] Predators of blue willow beetle eggs include A. nemorum and Orthotylus marginalis . Larval predators include A. nemorum, the bug Rhacognathus punctatus , [10] a syrphid fly (possibly Parasyrphus nigritarsis ) [13] and the wasp Symmorphus bifasciatus . [14] Adult beetles are parasitized by the wasp Perilitus brevicollis [15] and consumed by R. punctatus. [13]

As a pest

In Europe, the blue willow beetle can become a severe herbivore pest on willows. [16] For plantations of common osier (Salix viminalis), herbivory reducing biomass production by up to 40% has been estimated. [17] It is susceptible to Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis and also Spinosad when treatment is applied to affected plants. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf beetle</span> Family of beetles

The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, but the precise taxonomy and systematics are likely to change with ongoing research.

<i>Salix viminalis</i> Species of willow

Salix viminalis, the basket willow, common osier or osier, is a species of willow native to Europe, Western Asia, and the Himalayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salicin</span> Chemical compound

Salicin is an alcoholic β-glucoside. Salicin is produced in willow (Salix) bark. It is a biosynthetic precursor to salicylaldehyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysomelinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

The Chrysomelinae are a subfamily of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), commonly known as broad-bodied leaf beetles or broad-shouldered leaf beetles. It includes some 3,000 species around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short rotation coppice</span> Coppice grown as an energy crop

Short rotation coppice (SRC) is coppice grown as an energy crop. This woody solid biomass can be used in applications such as district heating, electric power generating stations, alone or in combination with other fuels. Currently, the leading countries in area planted for energy generation are Sweden and the UK.

<i>Chrysomela lapponica</i> Species of beetle

The leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica is found in central and northern Europe feeding on leaves of willows and birch. The adult beetles are about 8 mm long and beetles in different regions can have different colour patterns on their elytra.

<i>Clytra laeviuscula</i> Species of beetle

Clytra laeviuscula, the ant bag beetle, is a species of short-horned leaf beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.

<i>Parasyrphus nigritarsis</i> Species of fly

Parasyrphus nigritarsis is a species of hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. It is known from northern Europe and North America, and has been considered to be a rare species in parts of its range. Adults visit flowers as a source of nutrition, and females lay their eggs on clutches of eggs of leaf beetles. When the Parasyrphus larvae hatch, they first consume leaf beetle eggs and then consume immature beetles until they reach the pupal stage. This species is related to hoverflies that prey on aphids as larvae, and has been investigated in studies of chemical ecology and food web ecology.

Perilitus brevicollis is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae. The host of this wasp is the blue willow beetle, which is a pest in Europe.

<i>Phratora</i> Genus of beetles

Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to Phyllodecta . European Phratora species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic coloration.

<i>Phratora vitellinae</i> Species of beetle

Phratora vitellinae, the brassy leaf beetle, formerly Phyllodecta vitellinae, is a beetle of the family Chrysomelidae found in Europe and Asia. It feeds on Populus and Salix species. The evolution of its host plant preferences and the mechanism by which it uses host plant chemicals to make a larval defensive secretion have been the subject of intense study by research groups in Europe and the Nordic countries.

<i>Phratora laticollis</i> Species of beetle

Phratora laticollis is a species of leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on Populus species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been studied extensively.

Melampsora amygdalinae is a fungal pathogen and part of the division Basidiomycota. It is known as a rust fungus that is host specific. M. amygdalinae commonly infects willows of the genus Salix. This fungus was first discovered in 1909 by Heinrich Klebahn who was a professor of soil biology in Hamburg. Neimi at el. explain how the pathogen occurs throughout the whole distribution of the host, and the small natural populations are an area of interest. This rust fungus is annual and autoecious, which references the fungus spending its entire life in a single host.

Phratora americana is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.This species is known from Ontario, Quebec, and high elevations in the eastern United States of America. It feeds on willow species and varies in color from purple to blue or blue-green.

<i>Chrysomela aeneicollis</i> Species of beetle

Chrysomela aeneicollis is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. This organism has been used as a model for studies of natural selection in nature. It is currently being investigated to study effects of environmental change on insect populations, and the evolutionary significance of variation at genes affecting metabolism and the response to stress. It has been included as a study species in the California Conservation Genomics Project, due to its presence in multiple California ecoregions and extensive knowledge of genetic variation, evolutionary ecology, and interactions with other species. Information about its range and comparisons with closely related species can be found in a review of the genus Chrysomela published in the Canadian Entomologist.

Phratora interstitialis is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia and North America. This leaf beetle feeds on host plants that are poor in salicylates and is closely related to the European Phratora vulgatissima, which also feeds on salicylate-poor willows.

<i>Phratora purpurea</i> Species of beetle

Phratora purpurea, the aspen skeletonizer, is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found across North America, including Maryland, New York, Ontario, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. It feeds on willows and poplars, and is deep purple or coppery red in color.

Phratora frosti is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. This species is known from Nova Scotia to Alberta. It feeds on willow species and varies in color from blue to purple to coppery, with pale legs.

<i>Phratora tibialis</i> Species of beetle

Phratora tibialis is a species of leaf beetle found in Europe and parts of Asia. This beetle is found on willows and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been studied extensively.

<i>Phratora polaris</i> Species of beetle

Phratora polaris is a species of leaf beetle found in the Nordic regions of Europe., occasionally in Scotland, and Iceland. Some authors have recorded it in central Europe, especially in the Alps. Historically, this species has occurred in Greenland. This beetle is found on willow (Salix) species in the southern part of its range. Populations in Lapland feed on birch.

References

  1. ↑ Sundholm, A. (1956). "Studien über die Gattung Phyllodecta Kirby (Col. Chrysomelidae)". Opuscula Entomologica. 21: 5–7.
  2. 1 2 Torp, Mikaela; Lehrman, Anna; Stenberg, Johan A.; Julkunen-Tiitto, Riitta; Björkman, Christer (2013-03-01). "Performance of an herbivorous leaf beetle (Phratora vulgatissima) on Salix F2 hybrids: the uimportance of phenolics". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 39 (4): 516–524. doi:10.1007/s10886-013-0266-3. PMID   23456345. S2CID   1714405.
  3. ↑ Lucht, W. H. (1987). Die Käfer Mitteleuropas: Katalog. Krefeld: Goecke and Evers Verlag.
  4. ↑ Chen, S. H. (1965). "On the Chinese species of the Chrysomeline genus Phratora". Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica. 2 (3): 218–224.
  5. ↑ Köpf, A.; Rank, N. E.; Roininen, H.; Julkunen-Tiitto, R.; Pasteels, J. M.; Tahvanainen, J. (1998). "The evolution of host-plant use and sequestration in the leaf beetle genus Phratora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)". Evolution. 52 (2): 517–528. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1998.tb01651.x . PMID   28568343. S2CID   24641299.
  6. ↑ Kelly, M. T.; Curry, J. P. (1991). "The influence of phenolic compounds on the suitability of three Salix species as hosts for the willow beetle Phratora vulgatissima". Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 61: 25–32. doi:10.1111/j.1570-7458.1991.tb02392.x. S2CID   84232264.
  7. ↑ Kelly, M. T.; Curry, J. P. (1991). "The biology and population density of the willow beetle (Phratora vulgatissima [L.]) on Salix viminalis in reclaimed cutaway peat". Journal of Applied Entomology. 111 (1–5): 57–62. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.1991.tb00293.x. S2CID   86736745.
  8. ↑ Peacock, L.; Herrick, S.; Brain, P. (1999-11-01). "Spatio-temporal dynamics of willow beetle (Phratora vulgatissima) in short-rotation coppice willows grown as monocultures or a genetically diverse mixture". Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 1 (4): 287–296. doi:10.1046/j.1461-9563.1999.00039.x. S2CID   84933651.
  9. ↑ Kabir, Faisal MD; Moritz, Kim K; Stenberg, Johan A (2015-04-19). "Plant-sex-biased tritrophic interactions on dioecious willow". Ecosphere. 5 (12): 153. doi: 10.1890/ES14-00356.1 .
  10. 1 2 Görnandt, H. (1955). "Die Käfergattung Phyllodecta Kirby". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 2: 1–100. doi:10.1002/mmnd.19550020102.
  11. ↑ L. Peacock; J. Harris & S. Powers (2004). "Effects of host variety on blue willow beetle Phratora vulgatissima performance". Annals of Applied Biology . 144 (1): 45–52. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00315.x.
  12. ↑ Kendall, D A (1996). "Phenology and population dynamics of willow beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in short rotation coppice willows at Long Ashton". Biofuels Study.
  13. 1 2 Rank, N. E.; Smiley, J. T.; Köpf, A. (1996). "Natural enemies and host plant relationships for chrysomeline leaf beetles feeding on Salicaceae". In P. H. Jolivet; M. L. Cox (eds.). Chrysomelidae Biology. Vol. 2: Ecological Studies. Amsterdam: SPB Publishing. pp. 147–171.
  14. ↑ Blüthgen, P. (1961). Die Faltenwespen Mitteleuropas (Hymenoptera, Diploptera). Berlin: Akademie Verlag.
  15. ↑ J.A. Stenberg (2012). "Plant-mediated effects of different Salix species on the performance of the braconid parasitoid Perilitus brevicollis". Biological Control. 60: 54–58. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2011.09.004.
  16. ↑ J. Stenberg; A. Lehrman; C. Björkman (2010). "Uncoupling direct and indirect plant defences: Novel opportunities for improving crop security in willow plantations". Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment . 139 (4): 528–533. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2010.09.013.
  17. ↑ C. Björkman; S. Höglund; K. Eklund & S. Larsson (2000). "Effects of leaf beetle damage on stem wood production in coppicing willow". Agricultural and Forest Entomology . 2 (2): 131–139. doi:10.1046/j.1461-9563.2000.00058.x. S2CID   85412547.
  18. ↑ Helbig, C.; Müller, M.; Landgraf, D. (2011). "Insect pests in short rotation coppice in Germany—An overview of their effects, risk potential and control measures". Short Rotation Forestry and Agroforestry: An Exchange of Experience between CDM Countries and Europe. Benwood Project Consortium. pp. 46–56. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.432.2300 .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.