Donacia marginata Hoppe, 1795

Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Donacia > Donacia marginata

Images

Donacia marginata
Source:
Lee Manning
Donacia marginata
Source:
Roger Key
Donacia marginata
Source:
Malcolm Greenwood

Description

Size: 8-10mm
Basic colour: Golden-bronze
Pattern colour: Elytra usually with variable reddish-purple patches and sides.
Number of spots: See pattern
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Donacia bicolora
, Confusion species: Donacia obscura

Palaearctic, including Morocco.

Biology

Status: Widespread and locally common, especially in the south. As far north as SW Scotland.
Habitat: On emergent vegetation, including reedbeds at the edges of various water-bodies and wetland/damp habitats.
Host plant: Branched bur-reed, Sparganium erectum. Possibly also other wetland/emergent plants.
Overwintering: Unknown.
Food: Adults on upper epidermis and pulp of leaves, and possibly also pollen; larvae uncertain but may be found between leaves, eggs being laid between submerged parts.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)