| Clytra quadripunctata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Four spotted leaf beetle | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Cryptocephalinae |
| Tribe: | Clytrini |
| Genus: | Clytra |
| Species: | C. quadripunctata |
| Binomial name | |
| Clytra quadripunctata | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Clytra quadripunctata is a species of leaf beetle in the subfamily Cryptocephalinae. Its common name is Four spotted leaf beetle.
Subspecies include: [3]
This species is present in the western Palearctic realm from Europe (Bohemia, Moravia, France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia and the north of Spain) to Mongolia. [4] [5] They can be found on woody plants, roadside edges, dry grasslands and forest edges.
Clytra quadripunctata can reach a body length of about 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in). These beetles show 4 black spots on the yellow-red wing covers. This species is very similar to Clytra laeviuscula , but Clytra quadripunctata has rounded and smaller posterior spots on the elytra.
The main criterion for distinguishing the two species is located in the center of the pronotum: it is regularly punctate in Clytra quadripunctata and not shiny, but smooth and shiny in Clytra laeviuscula.
Adults can be found from April to the end of August. [6] This species of beetle is common in the spring on the flowering blackberry bushes and consumes the fruit. They feed on the leaves of various plants, including: Dactylis glomerata , Pteridium aquilinum , hawthorn ( Crataegus ), blackthorn (Prunus), willow (Salix), birch (Betula) and oak (Quercus). [7] These beetles lives near wood ants (genus Formica). The larvae develop in the nests of these ants. [8]
Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fish, snakes and spiders. The mechanism is typically that of one structure with a well-defined lip, ridge, or nodules being moved across a finely-ridged surface or vice versa, and vibrating as it does so, like the dragging of a phonograph needle across a vinyl record. Sometimes it is the structure bearing the file which resonates to produce the sound, but in other cases it is the structure bearing the scraper, with both variants possible in related groups. Common onomatopoeic words for the sounds produced by stridulation include chirp and chirrup.
Leafcutter ants, a non-generic name, are any of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants belonging to the two genera Atta and Acromyrmex. These species of tropical, fungus-growing ants are all endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States. Leafcutter ants can carry twenty times their body weight and cut and process fresh vegetation to serve as the nutritional substrate for their fungal cultivates.
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.
Histeridae is a family of beetles commonly known as clown beetles or Hister beetles. This very diverse group of beetles contains 3,900 species found worldwide. They can be easily identified by their shortened elytra that leaves two of the seven tergites exposed, and their geniculate (elbowed) antennae with clubbed ends. These predatory feeders are most active at night and will fake death if they feel threatened. This family of beetles will occupy almost any kind of niche throughout the world. Hister beetles have proved useful during forensic investigations to help in time of death estimation. Also, certain species are used in the control of livestock pests that infest dung and to control houseflies. Because they are predacious and will even eat other Hister beetles, they must be isolated when collected.
Neottia nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, is a non-photosynthetic orchid, native to Europe, Russia and some parts of the Middle East.
Oecophylla smaragdina is a species of arboreal ant found in tropical Asia and Australia. These ants form colonies with multiple nests in trees, each nest being made of leaves stitched together using the silk produced by the ant larvae.
Coccinellidae is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from 0.8 to 18 mm. The family is commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain and other parts of the English-speaking world. Entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not classified as true bugs.
Lasius neglectus is a polygynous, sometimes invasive, ant of the genus Lasius. The ant was identified in 1990 after establishing a colony in Budapest, Hungary. Superficially, they are similar in appearance to the common black garden ant, Lasius niger, but have significantly different behavioural patterns, particularly in the social structure within colonies.
Creophilus maxillosus, the hairy rove beetle, is a species of rove beetle
Arima marginata is a species of leaf beetles of the subfamily Galerucinae in the family Chrysomelidae.
Clytra laeviuscula, the ant bag beetle, is a species of short-horned leaf beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.
Azteca andreae is an arboreal ant species found in the tropics of South America, most notably in French Guiana. They are most notable for their predatory skills and strength. They are ambush predators that are able to capture and eat other insects much greater than their own size.
Clytra is a genus of short-horned leaf beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.
Apoderus coryli, common name hazel-leaf roller weevil, is a species of leaf-rolling beetles belonging to the family Attelabidae subfamily Attelabinae. Because of the trunk-like elongated head, it is often mistakenly attributed to the weevils.
Ophraella communa, common name ragweed leaf beetle, is a species of beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae.
Sphaeroderma testaceum, the artichoke beetle, is a species of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae.
Liparus coronatus is a species of beetles belonging to the family Curculionidae.
Saissetia coffeae, known generally as hemispherical scale, is a species of soft scale insect in the family Coccidae. Other common names include the helmet scale and coffee brown scale.
Henosepilachna argus, common name bryony ladybird, is a species of beetle in the family Coccinellidae.
