Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Coleoptera (Beetles) ➔ Family Chrysomelidae (Leaf beetles)
Gonioctena (Gonioctena) viminalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Korbweiden-Blattkäfer
Synonyms and other combinations:
Chrysomela viminalis Linnaeus, 1758 | Chrysomela fridrichsdalensis Müller, 1764 |
Classification:
Gonioctena viminalis belongs to the subfamily Chrysomelinae, tribe Gonioctenini.Distribution:
Moderate Paläarktis, from the Pyrenees and British islands east to East-Asia, in the south as far as into Turkey, is missing in Europe in Ireland, Scotland and at the Mediterranean; North America.Habitat:
In cool, humid, often montane locations (brook margins, forest edges, humid forests) on willows.Description:
Length 5.5 - 7 mm; variable species; wing covers glossy in both sexes, often black spotted, each with 9 regular dotted stripes arranged in rows; mostly all spaces between the dotted stripes numerously and distinctly dotted; scutellum mostly dark brown or black; pronotum slightly arched, usually coarsely dotted on the sides; Head usually black; antennal segment 3 not or hardly longer than 5, segment 10 not longer than broad; mandibles hollowed out at the sides for insertion of the palpi; last segment of the palpi mostly darkened; legs completely black; front tibiae at the tip with a usually well developed tooth.Biology:
The adults of Gonictena viminalis are good flyers. They usually appear in May after hibernation.The univoltine species lives on willows (Salicaceae), especially on broad-leaved species such as eared willow (Salix aurita), gray willow (Salix cinerea) and goat willow (Salix caprea), rarely on poplars (Populus, Salicaceae).
In warmer areas, the females lay eggs at the leaf-undersides. After a few days the larvae hatch. Further north or in cooler locations the females are vivipar, i.e. the larvae hatch already in the female abdomen. The larvae develop from May onwards and pass through 4 larval stages. They eat together and live in dense groups guarded by their mother on the leaves of their host plant. They can secrete toxins to defend themselves. After a short time the larvae are fully grown. They drop to the ground and pupate in a burrow. The entire development cycle takes about 1 month. The freshly hatched beetles of the new generation undergo a summer diapause in the foliage or soil layer, appear briefly and go on the search for winter shelder.
Note:
The pictures show the development from late-instar larva to imago. The pupa which is orange after moulting changes colour about one day before the beetle emerges. The beetle, which is predominantly light during hatching, needs about one day to take its final colour.References, further reading, links:
- Rheinheimer, Joachim, & Hassler, Michael: Die Blattkäfer Baden-Württembergs, 2018, 928 pages, Kleinsteuber Books (Karlsruhe), ISBN 978-3-9818110-2-5
- Arved Lompe: Die Käfer Europas - Ein Bestimmungswerk im Internet
- Altica sp.
- Bruchus sp.
- Cassida nebulosa
- Cassida sp.
- Cassida stigmatica
- Cassida vibex
- Cassida vibex/bergeali
- Chrysolina lucidicollis
- Chrysolina oricalcia
- Chrysolina sp.
- Chrysolina sturmi
- Chrysolina varians
- Chrysomela tremula
- Coptocephala sp.
- Crepidodera aurea
- Crepidodera fulvicornis
- Cryptocephalus moraei
- Cryptocephalus nitidus
- Cryptocephalus pusillus
- Cryptocephalus sp.
- Donacia cinerea
- Donacia marginata
- Donacia versicolorea
- Galeruca tanaceti
- Galerucella s.l.
- Gonioctena decemnotata
- Gonioctena quinquepunctata
- Gonioctena sp.
- Gonioctena viminalis
- Lema cyanella
- Neocrepidodera sp.
- Oulema melanopus/duftschmidi
- Oulema obscura
- Pachybrachis sp.
- Phratora sp.
- Plagiosterna aenea
- Plateumaris sp.
- Podagrica fuscicornis
- Psylliodes sp.
- Sphaeroderma sp.
- Gonioctena quinquepunctata/intermedia
- Alder Leaf Beetle
- Ant Bag Beetle
- Barley Flea Beetle
- Brassy Willow Leaf Beetle
- Broad Bean Weevil
- Case-bearing Leaf Beetles
- Colorado Potato Beetle
- Dead-nettle Leaf Beetle
- Elm Leaf Beetle
- Four Spotted Leaf Beetle
- Green Dock Beetle
- Green Tortoise Beetle
- Horseradish Flea Beetle
- Imported Willow Leaf Beetle
- Iris Flea Beetle
- Lily Leaf Beetle
- Plantain Leaf Beetle
- Poplar Leaf Beetle
- Skullcap Leaf Beetle
- Spotted Asparagus Beetle
- Spotted Willow Leaf Beetle
- St John's-wort Leaf Beetle
- Thistle Tortoise Beetle
- Turnip Flea Beetle
- Two-tone Reed Beetle
- Viburnum Leaf Beetle
- Western Grape Rootworm
- Wheat Flea Beetle
- Willow Flea Beetle
- Willow Leaf Beetle