Longitarsus melanocephalus (De Geer, 1775)
Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Longitarsus > Longitarsus melanocephalus
Description
Size: 2.3-3.1mm
Basic colour: Yellowish to reddish or brownish (rarely entirely dark reddish-brown)
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour, hind femora darkened
Confusion species: Longitarsus kutscherae
, Confusion species: Longitarsus plantagomaritimus
Basic colour: Yellowish to reddish or brownish (rarely entirely dark reddish-brown)
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: None
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour, hind femora darkened
Confusion species: Longitarsus kutscherae
, Confusion species: Longitarsus plantagomaritimus
Palaearctic (including the Middle East and North Africa)
Biology
Status: Widespread and common
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Plantains (Plantago spp.), occasionally on other plants.
Overwintering: As adults in leaf litter, moss and grass tussocks.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae in roots or on leaf petioles.
Other notes: Dissection of genitalia needed for separation from L. kutscherae & L. plantagomaritimus. Adults parasitised by larvae of a braconid wasp, probably Perilitus sp.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Plantains (Plantago spp.), occasionally on other plants.
Overwintering: As adults in leaf litter, moss and grass tussocks.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae in roots or on leaf petioles.
Other notes: Dissection of genitalia needed for separation from L. kutscherae & L. plantagomaritimus. Adults parasitised by larvae of a braconid wasp, probably Perilitus sp.