Criocerinae

Red-necked cereal leaf beetle ( Oulema melanopus )

The Zirpkäfer ( Criocerinae ) are a subfamily within the family of leaf beetles ( Chrysomelidae ).

Features

A typical feature of these beetles is the Zirporgan which ( the so-called pygidium ) and a field of Kutikulazähnchen on the underside of the rear angle of the elytra seam consists of a series of parallel cuticular ridges on the last visible Hinterleibstergit. If the animals are restricted in their freedom of movement, they rub the abdomen end rhythmically on the underside of the elytra, creating a Zirpgeräusch formed, which has the beetles introduced the German name. Even " chicken " for the native species is due to. In English, they are called "shiny beetles ", which refers to the metallic luster of most tropical members of this subfamily.

There are small to medium-sized beetles, which are usually between four and 12 millimeters long. The smallest species reach about three millimeters, the largest about 20 mm body length. Your body outline is consistently lean, the pronotum is distinctly narrower than the elytra, which properly Walking Wings Ceiling shoulders arise. The wing covers ( elytra ) are often metallic shimmering. Many species also have streaks or spots on the elytra.

Way of life

Zirpkäfer feed - like almost all leaf beetle - of green plant material. The locals are down to one species ( Lema cyanella - thistle chicken ) bound to monocotyledonous plants ( Liliaceae, Asparagaceae, Poales ). Your German trivial name they were given by their typical food plants: lilies chicken ( genus Lilioceris ), asparagus chicken ( genus Crioceris ), cereal leaf beetle ( genus Oulema ). Typically, the Imagines overwinter in the soil. In the spring they will appear as soon as their food plants sprout. The bugs need to eat small amounts of leaf material, so that their gonads mature. They mate on their food plants, where the females store the eggs in rows or individually. In general, the local Zirpkäfer bring forth two generations a year. The beetles of the first generation to live only a few weeks, the winter of the second.

In the tropics, there are groups of species of this subfamily, which are bound to Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae, Orchidaceae, Commelinaceae, Zingiberales and other groups of plants.

Dissemination

Species of the genus are found worldwide Zirpkäfer, where they occur particularly rich in species in the tropical regions.

System

The Zirpkäfern approximately 1,400 species described so far are expected around the world, found in Central Europe, 16 ( depending on personal preference cause some agent up to 20 species of Central Europe ). In Europe, the subfamily Criocerinae is represented with a total of 22 species in four genera.

Genus Crioceris

  • Mean asparagus chicken Crioceris asparagi (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Crioceris bicruciata Sahlberg, 1823
  • Twelve Punk Tiger asparagus beetle Crioceris duodecimpunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Crioceris macilenta way, 1880
  • Crioceris paracenthesis (Linnaeus, 1767)
  • Crioceris quatuordecimpunctata ( Scopoli, 1763)
  • Crioceris quinquepunctata ( Scopoli, 1763)

Genus Lema

  • Lema cyanella (Linnaeus, 1758)

Genus Lilioceris

  • Lilioceris faldermanni ( Guérin - Méneville, 1829)
  • Lily chicken Lilioceris lilii ( Scopoli, 1763)
  • Lily of the Valley chicken Lilioceris merdigera (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Lilioceris schneideri (Weise, 1900)
  • Lilioceris tibialis (Villa, 1838)

Genus Oulema

  • Oulema duftschmidi ( Redtenbacher, 1874)
  • Oulema erichsonii ( Suffrian, 1841)
  • Grass chicken Oulema gallaeciana ( Heyden, 1879)
  • Oulema hoffmannseggii ( Lacordaire, 1845)
  • Oulema magistrettiorum ( Ruffo, 1964)
  • Red-necked cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Oulema rufocyanea ( Suffrian, 1847)
  • Oulema septentrionis (Weise, 1880)
  • Oulema tristis (Fall, 1786)

For more genres

Other genera have been described for species from outside Europe:

  • Atactolema Heinze, 1927
  • Elisabethana Heinze, 1928
  • Incisolema Pic, 1916
  • Lagriolema Gressitt, 1965
  • Manipuria Jacoby, 1908
  • Mecoprosopus Chujo, 1951
  • Metopoceris Heinze, 1931
  • Mimolema Pic, 1921
  • Neolema Monrós, 1951
  • Ortholema Heinze, 1943
  • Ovamela Fairmaire, 1887
  • Pachylema Monrós, 1951
  • Papulema Gressitt, 1965
  • Petauristes Latreille, 1829
  • Plectonycha Lacordaire, 1845
  • Pseudocrioceris Pic, 1916
  • Quasilema Monrós, 1951
  • Sigrisma Fairmaire, 1888
  • Stethopachys Baly, 1861
  • Trichonotolema Heinze, 1927
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