EntdeckenInsekten

Oulema melanopus

The Oulema melanopus, also known as the cereal leaf beetle, is a small insect that loves to munch on grass and cereal plants. They have shiny green bodies and are often found in fields and gardens.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Oulema melanopus is a slender beetle with glossy metallic blue-green wing covers. Its pronotum and legs are a striking reddish-orange, contrasting sharply with its dark head and antennae.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungColeopteraFamilieChrysomelidaeGattungOulema

Oulema melanopus

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Adult beetles can play dead, dropping off plants to fool predators!

The larvae cover themselves in a gooey black substance that looks gross!

Their eggs are often laid in neat rows, like tiny yellow pearls!

They were accidentally brought to North America from Europe in the 1960s!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Oulema melanopus larvae can create a 'fecal shield' because of sticky excrement that helps them deter predators like ladybugs.

Oulema melanopus has strong chewing mouthparts that help them munch through tough plant leaves and stems with ease.

Oulema melanopus has a shiny blue-green exoskeleton that helps them blend in with the leaves of their host plants.

Maße und Details

Größe: 3.5-5 mm
Lebenserwartung: 30-200 Tage
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

They munch on leaves of cereals and grasses, making them pesky plant eaters.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae feed within the upper leaf surface, while adults chew long strips along the surface.

Hauptnahrung

Wheat
Oats
Barley
Rye
Wild Grasses

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

Seven-spotted Ladybug

Coccinella septempunctata

Larvae and eggs are a tasty meal for ladybugs.

parasitizes

Cereal Leaf Beetle Parasitoid Wasp

Tetrastichus julis

This tiny wasp lays its eggs inside the beetle larvae.

eats

Common Wheat

Triticum aestivum

A favored food, causing significant crop damage.

eats

Cultivated Oat

Avena sativa

Both larvae and adults feed on oat leaves.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Getarnt

Getarnt beschreibt Organismen, die über eine Färbung oder Musterung verfügen, durch die sie mit ihrer Umgebung verschmelzen.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.