Phratora vitellinae
| Brassy willow leaf beetle | |
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| Phratora vitellinae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Chrysomelinae |
| Genus: | Phratora |
| Species: | P. vitellinae |
| Binomial name | |
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Phratora vitellinae (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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| Synonyms | |
The Brassy willow beetle (Phratora vitellinae), formerly Phyllodecta vitellinae, is a beetle of the family Chrysomelidae.
Phratora vitellinae can reach a length of about 3.5–5.2 millimetres (0.14–0.20 in). Body is domed and elongated. Elytra show longitudinal rows of clearly visible dots. The basic color is black with a metallic shine, usually bronze, but sometimes copper, blue or dark green. This species can be distinguished from P. vulgatissima by the latter more commonly displaying blue nuances.
This species is present throughout Europe from Ireland to Northern Russia up to Kamchatka.
Brassy willow beetlecan be found on aspen and various willow (Salix) species in fens, carrs, wet forests, hedge rows and on river banks. It is also commonly found in willow plantations in agricultural landscapes.
Adults can be found from May to September. This species is herbivorous and commonly foraging on different willow species. It overwinters in cracks in tree bark of larger trees.
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Wikipedia