| Lilioceris merdigera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lilioceris merdigera. Upperside | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Criocerinae |
| Tribe: | Criocerini |
| Genus: | Lilioceris |
| Species: | L. merdigera |
| Binomial name | |
| Lilioceris merdigera | |
| Synonyms | |
Lilioceris merdigera is a species of beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Criocerinae.
This species can be found in most Europe (especially in Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Russia, and Slovakia) and in the eastern Palearctic realm (China, Japan, and Taiwan). [1] [2] It has been introduced also in Brazil and Mexico. [3]
These shining leaf beetles inhabit edges of forests, fields and gardens.
Lilioceris merdigera can reach a length of 6–8 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, femora and tibiae are bright red and elytra bear several rows of dots. It can be easily distinguished by the similar Lilioceris lilii which has black instead of red legs and head. [4] This species is also similar to Lilioceris schneideri . [3]
The larvae are typically covered by blackish mucilaginous substances mixed with their own faeces, that seem to have a protective function. The specific epithet merdigera derives from its habit, from Latin merda (dung) and gero (to carry). [5] The adult beetles can produce chirping sounds through their stridulation apparatus on the anal segment. [6]
Adults overwinter in the soil. They emerge in April and May and can be seen until September. After mating, the females lay their yellow to brownish eggs on the underside of leaves of the host plants in rows with about six eggs. Eggs hatch into larvae in one-two weeks. After a month the larvae pupate in the soil. In about 20 days the adults emerge. [4]
Both the adults and the larvae feed on the leaves, buds, stems and flowers of several plants, mainly Liliaceae, Alliaceae and Asparagaceae species, for instance Turk's cap lily ( Lilium martagon ), onion ( Allium cepa ), [3] garlic ( Allium sativum ), Asparagus , Polygonum and Convallaria species. [4] They can cause damages in case of heavy occurrence.
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 scarlet lily beetle, red lily beetle, or lily leaf beetle, is a leaf beetle that eats the leaves, stem, buds, and flowers, of lilies, fritillaries and other members of the family Liliaceae. It lays its eggs most often on Lilium and Fritillaria species. In the absence of Lilium and Fritillaria species, there are fewer eggs laid and the survival rate of eggs and larvae is reduced. It is now a pest in most temperate climates where lilies are cultivated.
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.
The leek moth or onion leaf miner is a species of moth of family Acrolepiidae and the genus Acrolepiopsis. The species is native to Europe and Siberia, but is also found in North America, where it is an invasive species. While it was initially recorded in Hawaii, this was actually a misidentification of Acrolepiopsis sapporensis.
Propylea quatuordecimpunctata is a small lady beetle, belonging to the family Coccinellidae. It is sometimes referred to by the common name 14-spotted ladybird beetle, or simply P-14.
Galeruca tanaceti is a species of leaf beetle found in the Palearctic realm, and is the type species of the genus Galeruca. It feeds on various plants in both its adult and larval stages. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Altica oleracea is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Galerucinae.
Chrysomela populi is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Clytra laeviuscula, the ant bag beetle, is a species of short-horned leaf beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.
Cryptocephalus trimaculatus is a species of cylindrical leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.
Galerucella is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae described by George Robert Crotch in 1873. It is widely distributed but absent in the Neotropics. Some species feed on waterlilies and are used as biocontrol of introduced, invasive waterlilies. Galerucella tenella feed on strawberry plants.
Lilioceris is a genus of beetles in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. The genus was first scientifically described in 1912 by Edmund Reitter. Lilioceris belongs to the subfamily Criocerinae and tribe Criocerini.
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.
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.
Psylliodes chrysocephala or Psylliodes chrysocephalus, commonly known as the cabbage-stem flea beetle, is a species of leaf beetle situated in the subfamily Galerucinae and the tribe Alticini.
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.
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.
Coptocephala unifasciata is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.
