Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharting, 1781)
Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Plagiodera > Plagiodera versicolora
Description
Size: 2.5-4.8mm
Basic colour: Metallic blue or green, rarely purplish to black
Pattern colour: None (elytra occasionally a different shade to head and pronotum)
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Rare
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour dorsally, undersides black
Basic colour: Metallic blue or green, rarely purplish to black
Pattern colour: None (elytra occasionally a different shade to head and pronotum)
Number of spots: None
Other colour forms: Rare
Pronotoum: As basic colour
Leg colour: As basic colour dorsally, undersides black
Palaearctic, including North Africa; introduced into North America.
Biology
Status: Fairly common in central and southern England, a few records further north and in Wales and Ireland, no records from Scotland.
Habitat: Various - usually (but not always e.g. dunes) near water.
Host plant: Willows (especially crack-willow Salix fragilis) and poplars, possibly birches.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves (and possibly pollen). Larvae also on leaves, usually in groups on the undersides - may turn leaves brown and if numerous can skeletonise foliage.
Other notes: Various parasites (Hymenoptera & Diptera). Predated by the pentatomid shieldbug Zicrona caerulea, several ladybird species and the larva of a hoverfly (Parasyrphus sp.)
Habitat: Various - usually (but not always e.g. dunes) near water.
Host plant: Willows (especially crack-willow Salix fragilis) and poplars, possibly birches.
Overwintering: As adults
Food: Adults on leaves (and possibly pollen). Larvae also on leaves, usually in groups on the undersides - may turn leaves brown and if numerous can skeletonise foliage.
Other notes: Various parasites (Hymenoptera & Diptera). Predated by the pentatomid shieldbug Zicrona caerulea, several ladybird species and the larva of a hoverfly (Parasyrphus sp.)