Cryptocephalus sericeus
Silky case beetle ( Cryptocephalus sericeus )
The Silky case Beetle or Green Blue Beetle case ( Cryptocephalus sericeus ) is a beetle of the family of leaf beetles ( Chrysomelidae ).
Features
The beetles are six to eight millimeters long and have a cylindrical and stocky body. The chitin - armored metallic shine, the color varies from green, gold and green gold, rare blue or purple. The pronotum and elytra are finely granulated, the curved on the side S-shaped pronotum has finer points. The elytra cover the back end completely the abdomen. Before tag ( scutellum ) there are two oblique impressions. The head, legs, and rather long, threadlike antennae are dark colored. The first to fifth antennal segment has a metallic shine. The curved downward head and the abdomen end are compressed. An important feature is the provision of two strikingly shiny bump at the end of the prothorax slightly hollowed.
Similar Species
- Cryptocephalus aureolus Suffrian, 1847.
Synonyms
- Chrysomela sericeus Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies
- Cryptocephalus sericeus intrusus way in 1882. Croatia, Italy, Slovenia.
- Cryptocephalus sericeus sericeus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Cryptocephalus sericeus zambanellus Marseul, 1875. Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Herzegovina, Italy.
Occurrence
The beetles are widely used in Europe. In the north, the range extends to Denmark, southern Norway and central Sweden. The species is absent in the British Isles. It inhabits open, sunny areas, such as meadows and slopes and flies from May to July.
Life and development
The animals sit during the day mostly on bushes or flowers yellow daisy family, whose pollen they feed. The larvae feed on leaves. They live in a housing, which consists of their own excrement and that they carry around with them. Pupation occurs in the soil.