Species Polydrusus sericeus - Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil

Classification · Size · Identification · Range · Food · See Also · Internet References

Curculionidae: Polydrusus sp. - Polydrusus sericeus

What kind of beetle am I? - Polydrusus sericeus

Green Immigrant Leaf Beetle - Polydrusus sericeus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Curculionoidea (Snout and Bark Beetles)

Family Curculionidae (Snout and Bark Beetles)

Subfamily Entiminae (Broad-nosed Weevils)

Tribe Polydrusini

Genus Polydrusus

Species sericeus (Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil)

Size

body length 5-7 mm

Identification

completely covered with metallic green scales except for brownish or yellowish-brown legs and conspicuous black linear grooves in elytra; eyes relatively large, positioned dorsolaterally, and angled slightly inward (i.e. anterior margin or eye is closer to the midline than posterior margin); least interocular distance less than or equal to width of eye; elytra almost parallel-sided, widest near the base; anterior margin of snout straight, with no notch in middle

Range

northeastern United States and from New Brunswick to Ontario

introduced from Europe, where it is widespread

Food

primarily Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

See Also

P. impressifrons is similarly colored but has less conspicuous black lines in elytra, relatively small eyes positioned laterally and parallel to midline, least interocular distance 1.5 to 2 times width of eye, elytral margins slightly sinuate and widest near apex, and anterior margin of snout with notch in middle (compare images of both species)

Internet References

adult image compared to similar species [of the others, only impressifrons occurs in NA] (Claude Schott, La Société Alsacienne d'Entomologie, France)

live adult image (Mark Cassino, Michigan)

live adult image (Fred Kohler, Germany)

live adult image (B. Louvrier, Germany)

live adult images (Hania and Hans Arentsen, UK)

food plant (David Coyle, U. of Wisconsin)

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 19 October, 2005 - 10:59pm
Last updated 21 May, 2006 - 1:01pm

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