Altica lythri explained

Altica lythri is a species of flea beetle from the leaf beetle family, that is common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa, including Israel.^[1] The beetles size is 5mm, and their colour is blue with black and green.^[2] They present an ovipositor during oviposition.^[3] The species is distributed in European countries such as Finland and Ukraine, to the Asian countries of Azerbaijan, Dagestan, and Turkey.^[4] The species hibernate in winter, and come aground during summer months, when they are hungry. They feed on leaves of willowherb, water primroses^[5] and sallows.^[6] The species could become victims of such predators as Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, and adults of Pentatomidae, especially Zicrona caerulea.^[7]

Further reading

• For a description of the larvae: Eun Lee Jong & David G. Furth. 2000. Larval morphology and biology of a North American and an Israeli Altica species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae). Florida Entomologist. 83. 3. 276–284. 10.2307/3496346 . 3496346. free.

Notes and References

1. http://www.bioref.lastdragon.org/Coleoptera/Altica_lythri.html Distribution
2. http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/altica-lythri Colour
3. W. M. Phillips. 1978. Sensilla types from the ovipositor of the flea beetle Altica lythri (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 24. 3. 599–600 . 10.1111/j.1570-7458.1978.tb02822.x. free. 1978EEApp..24..599P .
4. Web site: Distribution by country . 2012-02-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131015025022/http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/European%20Chrysomelidae/altica%20lythri.htm . 2013-10-15 . dead .
5. Anonymous. 2011. Ludwigia grandiflora and L. peploides Onagraceae - Water primroses. EPPO Bulletin. 41. 3. 414–418. 10.1111/j.1365-2338.2011.02511.x. free.
6. http://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbirds2/insectinfocusalticalythri.htm Ecology
7. http://www.commanster.eu/commanster/Insects/Beetles/SpBeetles/Altica.lythri.html Predators