| Chrysolina cerealis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Genus: | Chrysolina |
| Subgenus: | Chrysomorpha Motschulsky, 1860 |
| Species: | C. cerealis |
| Binomial name | |
| Chrysolina cerealis | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Chrysolina cerealis, the rainbow leaf beetle or Snowdon beetle, is a beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae.
Subspecies within this genus include: [2]
This species is present in most Eurasian countries, from Norway to northern Italy, and from Ussuri in the east to Snowdonia (Wales) in the west. [3] [4] These leaf beetles can be found in forests, woodlands, meadows, wastelands and montane grasslands over 600m above sea level.
Chrysolina cerealis can reach a length of 5.5–10 millimetres (0.22–0.39 in). [5] Females are typically larger than males. [5] Coloration of the pronotum and the elytra is quite variable, usually it is metallic green with three blue and red longitudinal stripes, with golden reflections (hence the common name). The subspecies Chrysolina cerealis mixta has metallic blue pronotum and elytra. The underparts are dark blue. [6]
Adults can be found from April to September. This beetle lives on base-rich screes and lays its eggs during June on grasses such as Agrostis capillaris and Festuca ovina , although both larvae and adults mostly feed on the wild thyme Thymus polytrichus , [6] preferring the flowers to the leaves.
Within Wales, C. cerealis is found at only a few sites on the western flanks of Snowdon, and perhaps in Cwm Idwal in the neighbouring Glyderau. [6] The population is thought to be genetically distinct, and the species is classified as endangered in the UK and protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. [7] The species has not been found since 1980 in Cwm Idwal, and some reports consider the Snowdon population of about 1000 adults to be in "serious decline", [6] while others say that there is no evidence of a decline, but that the species may always have been rare. [5]
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.
The Tansy beetle is a species of leaf beetle. The common name derives from its main foodplant, Tansy, but it can also use other wetland plants such as Gypsywort and Water Mint. It measures 7.7–10.5 mm in length and has a characteristic bright metallic green colouration, with pitted elytra and a coppery tinge. In addition to the nominotypical subspecies, which repeats the specific name, C. graminis graminis, there are five further distinct subspecies of Tansy beetle, which, collectively, have a Palearctic distribution, although in the majority of countries where it is found the species is declining. In the United Kingdom it is designated as 'Nationally Rare'. The stronghold population here is located along the banks of the river Ouse in York, North Yorkshire. Other, small, fenland populations exist at Woodwalton Fen and at Welney Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve.
The Cassidinae are a subfamily of the leaf beetles, or Chrysomelidae. The antennae arise close to each other and some members have the pronotal and elytral edges extended to the side and covering the legs so as to give them the common name of tortoise beetles. Some members, such as in the tribe Hispini, are notable for the spiny outgrowths to the pronotum and elytra.
Chrysolina americana, common name rosemary beetle, is a species of beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae.
Chrysolina is a large genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Chrysomelinae. Most species are distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa with a small number of species inhabiting North America and introduced species in Australia.
Gaurotes virginea is a species of the Lepturinae subfamily in the long-horned beetle family.
Altica oleracea is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Galerucinae.
Chrysolina grossa, the red leaf beetle, is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Chrysomela populi is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Cryptocephalus sericeus is a species of beetle of the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.
Oreina speciosa is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetles of the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Chrysolina bicolor is a species of beetle belonging to the Chrysomelidae family.
Allochrysolina is a subgenus of the genus Chrysolina of the subfamily Chrysomelinae within the family of leaf beetles. Species of this subgenus are found in Europe and North Africa.
Chrysolina fastuosa, also known as the dead-nettle leaf beetle, is a species of beetle from a family of Chrysomelidae found in Europe, Caucasus and northern Turkey.
Cryptocephalus virens is a cylindrical leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae. The species was first described by Christian Wilhelm Ludwig Eduard Suffrian in 1847.
Chrysolina virgata is a species of leaf beetle in the genus Chrysolina.
Chrysolina coerulans, also known as the blue mint beetle or blue mint leaf beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is in the subgenus of Synerga. It is native to a wide range of countries between mid and eastern Europe and lives alongside rivers and in meadows, it feeds on various plant members of the mint family.
Chrysolina bankii is a species of leaf beetle native to western Europe and the western Mediterranean Basin. It has also been introduced to the US, where its range is expanding.
Luperus flavipes is a species of skeletonizing leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Galerucinae.
Hemisphaerota cyanea, known generally as palmetto tortoise beetle, is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Other names include the Florida tortoise beetle and iridescent blue chrysomelid beetle. It is native to the southeastern United States, from North Carolina, south to Florida, and west to Mississippi. It is introduced to southern Texas.