Purple Loosestrife Beetle - Neogalerucella calmariensis

Moved

… Beatriz Moisset, 12 November, 2007 - 12:06pm

Neogalerucella calmariensis

now in genus Neogalerucella

… Rob Westerduijn, 12 November, 2007 - 11:28am

What plant / habitat it was?

- always important in leaf feeding insects.

I think it will be a Galerucella, and it looks just like this one - but only answer to above questions may settle the problem.

… Boris Büche, 2 August, 2007 - 9:32am

Edge of pond

Seen on a low bush at the edge of a shallow pond (a pond with many lily pads) in a wooded area. There were many of these beetles on the bush, and the plant leaves were damaged/ full of holes.

… Peter Cristofono, 2 August, 2007 - 9:43am

bush?

"edge of pond" sounds good for purple loosestrife beetle. Loosestrife is a tall herb (~ 1 meter), but not woody. Leaf may fit.

… Boris Büche, 2 August, 2007 - 10:42am

purple loosestrife beetle

Thanks, Boris. I went back to the pond and found that the plant is in fact purple loofestrife. I didn't recognize it at first because there are almost no flowers left. So the beetle is a purple loosestrife beetle, doing it's job quite well I might add :)

… Peter Cristofono, 2 August, 2007 - 1:44pm

Pyrrhalta (Galerucella) decora

This is a skeletonizing leafbeetle. The species is what they call here Pyrrhalta decora: http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/024107080ap.html
For other beetlefreaks reading this, I´m getting a bit confused about status of Galerucella, Pyrrhalta and Erynephala. Galerucella was a subgenus of Pyrrhalta, but later a full genus and now a synonym????? What´s going on or is Pyrrhalta just an old name. The site from harvard says it´s Pyrrhalta, except for Galerucella nymphaeae. I also suspect we have some Erynephala under Galerucella now too.

… Rob Westerduijn, 1 August, 2007 - 4:53pm

Pyrrhalta / Galerucella

In Europe, both are treated (and ever were, insofar I know) as independent. P.viburni (type-species) lives on Viburnum, while Galerucella spp. (several) use to feed on herbs in wet habitats. Of the species listed under Pyrrhalta in Nearctica, luteola belongs in Galerucella.

… Boris Büche, 2 August, 2007 - 9:42am

Galerucella calmariensis

This picture got me look into this group (and mess on the net) again. They main difference between Galerucella and Pyrrhalta seems to be that Galerucella has a smaller head, a more punctured pronotum and like you said the habitat. Looks like this one is Galerucella too. Galerucella, Xanthogaleruca and Tricholochmaea are all treated as subgenera of Pyrrhalta by some old american works, but I don´t think this opion still holds much ground. It sure makes things easier just having them all under one name though and I don´t think it reflects much of the reality.

… Rob Westerduijn, 3 August, 2007 - 12:44pm