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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Longhorn and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea) » Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae) » Chrysomelinae » Chrysomelini » Chrysomelina » Plagiodera » Imported Willow Leaf Beetle (Plagiodera versicolora)

Species Plagiodera versicolora - Imported Willow Leaf Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Imported Willow Leaf Beetle - Plagiodera versicolora Imported Willow Leaf Beetle? - Plagiodera versicolora chrysomelid - Plagiodera versicolora Metallic Blue Beetle - Plagiodera versicolora blue leaf beetles - Plagiodera versicolora Plagiodera versicolora - male - female Imported Willow Leaf Beetle - Plagiodera versicolora Beetle - Plagiodera versicolora? - Plagiodera versicolora
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Chrysomeloidea (Longhorn and Leaf Beetles)
Family Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles)
Subfamily Chrysomelinae
Tribe Chrysomelini
Subtribe Chrysomelina
Genus Plagiodera
Species versicolora (Imported Willow Leaf Beetle)
Other Common Names
Willow Leaf Beetle
Explanation of Names
Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharting 1781)
versicolora (L). 'various colors' (1)
Size
3.5-4.5 mm
Range
Holarctic(2); in our area, east of the Mississippi R., mostly northeastern (map)(3)
Food
Willow (Salix) and poplar (Populus) leaves
Life Cycle
Hibernating adults emerge in the spring. Three generations, usually the third one hibernates. There may even be a fourth generation.


The female lays irregular masses of eggs on leaves. Hatching occurs in about a week.(4)
Remarks
considered a pest
Produces a mixture of cyclopentanoid monoterpenes for defensive purposes. These are used primarily to deter birds but these are also repugnant to conspecific adults and the larvae of Nymphalis antiopa, another willow leaf beetle.(5)
Print References
Wade M.J. (1994) The biology of the imported willow leaf beetle, Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharting). Novel aspects of the biology of Chrysomelidae, Series Entomologica 50: 541-547 (Abstract)
Internet References
Fact sheets: Ostry et al. (1989) • Nature Spot
Works Cited
1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
2.Borowiec L. (200_-2013) Chrysomelidae: The leaf beetles of Europe and the Mediterranean subregion (checklist and iconography)
3.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
4.Eastern Forest Insects
Whiteford L. Baker. 1972. U.S. Department of Agriculture · Forest Service.
5.Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry
J.B. Harborne. 1993. Academic Press Limited.
Contributed by tom murray on 8 June, 2006 - 8:05pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov, Marci Hess
Last updated 7 October, 2023 - 11:18am

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