Longitarsus nigrofasciatus (Goeze, 1777)
Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Longitarsus > Longitarsus nigrofasciatus
Description
Size: 2-3mm
Basic colour: Yellowish to orange or brown
Pattern colour: Elytral suture may be darkened. Some specimens may be a darker brown with a broadly darkened suture and possibly outer edges of elytra.
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: Usually as basic colour - in forms with a broadly darkened elytral suture, may also be darkened.
Leg colour: As basic colour, hind femora darkened
Confusion species: Longitarsus tabidus
Basic colour: Yellowish to orange or brown
Pattern colour: Elytral suture may be darkened. Some specimens may be a darker brown with a broadly darkened suture and possibly outer edges of elytra.
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Sometimes
Pronotoum: Usually as basic colour - in forms with a broadly darkened elytral suture, may also be darkened.
Leg colour: As basic colour, hind femora darkened
Confusion species: Longitarsus tabidus
Palaearctic, including the Middle East, North Africa and Cape Verde.
Biology
Status: Widely scattered and very local; not recorded from Scotland, old records only from Wales and Ireland. Scarce (Notable A)
Habitat: Calcareous grassland, unimproved grassland, maritime cliffs.
Host plant: Various Scrophulaceae i.e. figworts and mulleins.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae probably at roots.
Other notes: Adults parasitised by a braconid wasp larva (probably Perilitus sp.) and an unidentified nematode.
Habitat: Calcareous grassland, unimproved grassland, maritime cliffs.
Host plant: Various Scrophulaceae i.e. figworts and mulleins.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae probably at roots.
Other notes: Adults parasitised by a braconid wasp larva (probably Perilitus sp.) and an unidentified nematode.