Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Coleoptera (Beetles) ➔ Family Chrysomelidae (Leaf beetles)

Lochmaea caprea (Linnaeus, 1758)

Braungelber Weidenblattkäfer Willow Leaf Beetle

Synonyms and other combinations:

Chrysomela caprea Linnaeus, 1758 | Galeruca livida Fourcroy, 1785 |

  • Lochmaea caprea 3125
    Lochmaea caprea (Linnaeus, 1758)  Braungelber Weidenblattkäfer  Willow Leaf Beetle 
    Lochmaea caprea
    DE, Chemnitz; 2004-07-10 10:04:37
    Image number: 3125

    DE, Chemnitz
    2004-07-10 10:04:37
  • Lochmaea caprea 3146
    Lochmaea caprea (Linnaeus, 1758)  Braungelber Weidenblattkäfer  Willow Leaf Beetle 
    Lochmaea caprea
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2005-05-14 12:04:47
    Image number: 3146

    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2005-05-14 12:04:47
  • Lochmaea caprea 3126
    Lochmaea caprea (Linnaeus, 1758)  Braungelber Weidenblattkäfer  Willow Leaf Beetle 
    Lochmaea caprea, det. Christoph Benisch
    DE, Chemnitz; 2004-08-22 11:48:05
    Image number: 3126

    DE, Chemnitz
    2004-08-22 11:48:05
    det. Christoph Benisch
  • Lochmaea caprea 3127
    Lochmaea caprea (Linnaeus, 1758)  Braungelber Weidenblattkäfer  Willow Leaf Beetle 
    Lochmaea caprea, det. Christoph Benisch
    DE, Chemnitz; 2004-08-22 11:29:50
    Image number: 3127

    DE, Chemnitz
    2004-08-22 11:29:50
    det. Christoph Benisch

Classification:
Lochmaea caprea belongs to the subfamily Galerucinae, tribe Galerucini.
Distribution:
Temperate Palearctic: Morocco, Europe, east to Japan, south to Turkey and central China.
Habitat:
Mainly wetlands.
Description:
Length 4 - 6 mm; head completely black with the exception of the jaws and dull and wrinkled except for the forehead cusps; antennae slender, segment 3 much longer than 4; forehead with 2 flat humps; wing covers brownish-yellow, densely dotted and hairless, suture seam not darkened, epipleura almost hairless.
Similar species:
The Heather Beetle Lochmaea suturalis living on brush heather (Calluna vulgaris) is very similar to Lochmaea caprea. It has slightly finer and denser dotted wing covers, which often have a dark suture.
The Hawthorn Leaf Beetle Lochmaea crataegi has shorter and thicker antennae and shorter reddish brown wing covers with hairy epipleura.
Biology:
The adults of the Willow Leaf Beetle Lochmaea caprea can be found outdoors from April to September. The species mainly lives on different willow species, e.g. on goat willow (Salix caprea), grey willow (Salix cinerea) or white willow (Salix alba), as well as on birches (Betula) and more rarely on poplars (Populus).
From April the beetles leave their winter quarters and fly to their forage plants. They sit on the upper side of the leaves and feed holes into the leaves. After mating, the females lay their eggs in small lumps on the ground below the forage plant. 3 - 4 weeks later the larvae hatch, climb onto their host plants and start eating at the undersides of the leaves. After 3 larval stages, pupation takes place in an earth cave in the upper soil layer. The new generation hatches at the end of August. After a short maturation feeding period the beetles go into hibernation in September.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Rheinheimer, Joachim, & Hassler, Michael: Die Blattkäfer Baden-Württembergs, 2018, 928 pages, Kleinsteuber Books (Karlsruhe), ISBN 978-3-9818110-2-5
  2. Arved Lompe: Die Käfer Europas - Ein Bestimmungswerk im Internet