Brassicogethes aeneus explained

Brassicogethes aeneus, the common pollen beetle, is a species of pollen beetle in the family Nitidulidae. Other common names include the rape pollen beetle and rape blossom beetle.^{[1] [2]} It was previously known as Meligethes aeneus.^[3]

It is found in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and North America.^[2]

A subspecies of Brassicogethes aeneus is B. aeneus dauricus.

Adults are about 2–3 mm long, 1–2 mm wide and black with a hint of metallic green. The larvae are up to 3 mm long and white with brown sclerotised plates.

Brassicogethes aeneus is an important pest of oilseed rape.^[4] It is not known whether it contributes to the pollination of the crop.

The female beetle lays its eggs in the flower buds of the host-plant and the larvae develop within the flowers. Oviposition and feeding damage the buds of oilseed rape and similar Brassicas and may cause the flowers to drop. Both adults and larvae feed on the pollen and nectar in the flowers.^[5]

See also

• List of pollen beetles (Nitidulidae) recorded in Britain

References

• Audisio, P., A. R. Cline, A. De Biase, G. Antonini, E. Mancini, M. Trizzino, L. Costantini, et al. (2009). "Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)". Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, vol. 49, no. 2, 341–504.

Further reading

• Arnett, R. H. Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). (21 June 2002). American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, Florida .
• Arnett, Ross H. (2000). American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico. CRC Press.
• Richard E. White. (1983). Peterson Field Guides: Beetles. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Brassicogethes aeneus Species Information. BugGuide.net. 2018-02-03.
2. Web site: Brassicogethes aeneus Report. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 2018-02-03.
3. de Jong, Y.S.D.M. (ed.) (2013) Fauna Europaea version 2.6. Web Service available online at https://fauna-eu.org
4. Free, J. B. and Williams, I. H. (1979) The distribution of insect pests on crops of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and the damage they cause. Journal of Agricultural Science, UK 92: 139-149
5. Williams, I. H. (1976), The infestation of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) by the pests Meligethes aeneus Fab. and Ceuthorhynchus assimilis Payk. PhD thesis; University of London, UK.