Donacia crassipes Fabricius, 1775

Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Donacia > Donacia crassipes

Common name: 

Water-Lily Reed Beetle

Images

Donacia crassipes
Source:
Malcolm Greenwood

Description

Size: 8.1-10.8mm
Basic colour: Dark and shiny; purplish or coppery reflection, sometimes greenish.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour in part, partly red-brown. Hind legs long and curved.
Confusion species: Donacia versicolorea

Palaearctic.

Biology

Status: Widely scattered. Scarce (Notable B)
Habitat: With water-lilies.
Host plant: Water-lilies Nuphar spp. & Nymphaea spp.
Overwintering: Three-year life cycle with adults overwintering in cocoons.
Food: Adults on upper surface of leaves.
Other notes: Elytra relatively flattened (like D. versicolorea) but larger and with an earlier season (from May).

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)