Sermylassa halensis (Linnaeus, 1767)

Taxonomy: Polyphaga > Chrysomeloidea > Chrysomelidae > Sermylassa > Sermylassa halensis

Images

Sermylassa halensis
Source:
Peter Hodge
Sermylassa halensis
Source:
Roger Key

Description

Size: 5-7mm
Basic colour: Elytra metallic green or blue, rarely coppery.
Pattern colour: None
Number of spots: One large dark spot on top of the head
Other colour forms: Rare
Pronotoum: Yellow-brown to orangey
Leg colour: Yellow-brown to orangey

Western Palaearctic.

Biology

Status: Widespread in England and Wales, rare in Scotland and Ireland.
Habitat: Various
Host plant: Bedstraws (Galium spp.) and calamints (Clinopodium spp.)
Overwintering: As eggs and probably also as adults in milder areas.
Food: Adults on leaves, larvae on leaves and stems.
Other notes: Larvae and pupae parasitised by the carabid ground beetle Lebia chlorocephala, the adults of which may also predate larvae.

Distribution (may take a minute to appear)