Chrysomela populi Linnaeus, 1758

Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Chrysomela > Chrysomela populi

Common name: 

Red Poplar Leaf Beetle

Images

Chrysomela populi
Source:
Roger Key

Description

Size: 10-12mm
Basic colour: Metallic blue or greenish with red/red-brown elytra
Pattern colour: Dark apical spot on elytra
Number of spots: 1 per elytron
Pronotoum: Metallic blue or greenish
Leg colour: Metallic blue or greenish
Confusion species: Chrysomela tremula

One of Britain's larger and more distinctive chrysomelids.

Biology

Status: Widespread though may be absent from Scotland.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Willows and sapling poplars
Overwintering: Unknown location, but adults do overwinter.
Food: Leaves of host plants.
Other notes: Similar to the possibly extinct C. tremula, but has a dark apical spot on the elytra.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)