Longitarsus luridus (Scopoli, 1763)
Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Longitarsus > Longitarsus luridus
Description
Size: 1.5-2.2mm
Basic colour: Highly variable, from yellowish through brownish to almost black.
Pattern colour: Usually none, but elytral suture sometimes darkened.
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Longitarsus anchusae
Basic colour: Highly variable, from yellowish through brownish to almost black.
Pattern colour: Usually none, but elytral suture sometimes darkened.
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour
Confusion species: Longitarsus anchusae
Palaearctic, including the Middle East and North Africa (the latter as subspecies mauritanicus); introduced into North America.
Biology
Status: Very common and widespread
Habitat: various
Host plant: Various
Overwintering: As adults in moss, haystack refuse and grass tussocks
Food: Adults on leaves and possibly pollen, larvae at roots (reports of leaf- and stem-mining are probably incorrect)..
Other notes: Adults parasited by nematodes (unidentified) and a braconid wasp larva, probably Perilitus sp. Black forms may be very similar to L. anchusae.
Habitat: various
Host plant: Various
Overwintering: As adults in moss, haystack refuse and grass tussocks
Food: Adults on leaves and possibly pollen, larvae at roots (reports of leaf- and stem-mining are probably incorrect)..
Other notes: Adults parasited by nematodes (unidentified) and a braconid wasp larva, probably Perilitus sp. Black forms may be very similar to L. anchusae.