Willow Leaf Beetle

Plagiodera versicolora

The Willow Leaf Beetle is a small, shiny beetle that loves to munch on willow leaves. They are bright green and can often be found in gardens and parks where willows grow.

Lebensraum: Wetlands

Aussehen

The Willow Leaf Beetle is a small, oval-shaped insect, typically 4-6mm long, with a striking iridescent metallic blue-green or bronze sheen. Its glossy, dome-shaped wing covers truly make it sparkle among the green leaves, differentiating it from duller leaf beetles.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungColeopteraFamilieChrysomelidaeGattungPlagiodera

Willow Leaf Beetle

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Adult beetles hibernate in winter, hiding in soil or under leaf litter to stay safe!

Female beetles lay hundreds of tiny yellow eggs on the underside of willow leaves!

These beetles can skeletonize leaves, leaving only veins behind like delicate lace patterns!

Young willow leaf beetles are called larvae, and they look completely different from the adults!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Willow Leaf Beetle can release a stinky chemical because of special glands, which helps them warn off predators.

Willow Leaf Beetle has strong mandibles that help them chew through tough willow leaves as both larvae and adults.

Willow Leaf Beetle can fly quickly away from danger because of its functional wings, helping it escape predators fast.

Willow Leaf Beetle has a speedy life cycle that helps them lay many eggs quickly, ensuring more beetles hatch.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 8-12 mm
Größe: 4-6 mm
Lebenserwartung: 30-60 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 5 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

These hungry beetles munch exclusively on willow leaves, both as larvae and adults.

Hauptnahrung

Willow leaves
White Willow (Salix alba) leaves
Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) leaves

Nahrungssuche

Grazing

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

White Willow

Salix alba

Feeds on the leaves of this common willow tree.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

A tasty snack for this common European bird.

eaten by

European Garden Spider

Araneus diadematus

Often caught in the webs of these orb-weaving spiders.

parasitizes

Willow Leaf Beetle Parasitic Wasp

Tetrastichus julis

Wasp larvae develop inside willow leaf beetle larvae.

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.

Pflanzenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Lebewesen, deren Ernährung vollständig oder hauptsächlich aus pflanzlichem Material besteht.

Feuchtgebiet

Dieses Lebensraummerkmal kennzeichnet Arten, die in Feuchtgebieten vorkommen. Dies sind Landflächen, die dauerhaft oder saisonal mit Wasser gesättigt sind, darunter Marschland, Sümpfe und Moore.