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

Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)

Schneeball-Blattkäfer Viburnum Leaf Beetle

Synonyms and other combinations:

Galeruca viburni Paykull, 1799 | Pyrrhalta nigrescens Ochs, 1925 | Adimonia verna Laicharting, 1781 |

  • Pyrrhalta viburni 5476
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, conf. Klaas Reißmann
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2012-07-11 13:23:10
    Image number: 5476

    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2012-07-11 13:23:10
    conf. Klaas Reißmann
  • Pyrrhalta viburni 7414
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, conf. Christoph Benisch
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2016-08-09 10:02:06
    Image number: 7414

    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2016-08-09 10:02:06
    conf. Christoph Benisch
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, feeding pattern 6841
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, feeding pattern
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-05-19 13:10:26
    Image number: 6841
    feeding pattern
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-05-19 13:10:26
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, larvae 6804
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, larvae
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-05-10 12:44:20
    Image number: 6804
    larvae
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-05-10 12:44:20
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, larvae 7384
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, larvae
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2016-05-28 11:43:04
    Image number: 7384
    larvae
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2016-05-28 11:43:04
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, larva 6805
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, larva
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-05-13 11:44:44
    Image number: 6805
    larva
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-05-13 11:44:44
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, larva 6842
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, larva
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-05-16 17:31:26
    Image number: 6842
    larva
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-05-16 17:31:26
  • Pyrrhalta viburni 6843
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-05-16 17:29:34
    Image number: 6843

    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-05-16 17:29:34
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, pupa 6806
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, pupa
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-06-05 15:25:43
    Image number: 6806
    pupa
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-06-05 15:25:43
  • Pyrrhalta viburni, pupa 6807
    Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull, 1799)  Schneeball-Blattkäfer  Viburnum Leaf Beetle 
    Pyrrhalta viburni, pupa
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2014-06-05 15:25:43
    Image number: 6807
    pupa
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2014-06-05 15:25:43

Classification:
Pyrrhalta viburni belongs to the subfamily Galerucinae, tribe Galerucini.
Distribution:
Europe (missing in the Balkans), east to the Urals and Siberia, introduced into North America.
Habitat:
On Viburnum species in deciduous forests, parks, gardens, bushes and forest margins.
Description:
Length 4.5 - 6.5 mm; body brownish yellow; upper side matt chagrinated with very fine, dense puncture; wing covers arched with well marked humeral fold; head almost as broad as the pronotum; antennae slender, the tip segments three times longer than broad; 3rd antennal segment longer than the 4th; pronotum blackened at the sides; puncture on the pronotum almost invisible.
Pyrrhalta viburni is the only species of the genus Pyrrhalta in Europe.
Biology:
The Viburnum Leaf Beetle Pyrrhalta viburni forms one generation per year. The beetles are macropter and able to fly, but rarely fly.
The species lives on Viburnum (Adoxaceae), often on Guelder-rose (Viburnum opolus), more rarely on wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana), and on many Viburnum cultivars.
Pyrrhalta viburni hibernates in the egg stage. The larvae hatch at the earliest at the end of April, as soon as the leaves of the host plant sprout. The larvae feed on the underside of the leaves. From May onwards, the larvae go into the ground to pupate. The new generation hatches after 10 to 30 days at the end of June or beginning of July. The entire development takes about 8 - 10 weeks. The beetles eat holes in the leaves and mate about 2 weeks after hatching. Shortly after, the females start laying eggs. The eggs are laid in small groups of 5 - 10 pieces into previously gnawed deep holes in the twigs. The egg pits are then closed with a mixture of faeces, gnawed plant parts and slime. Each female can lay up to 500 eggs into up to 50 holes. The adults can be found until the end of October. The eggs winter.

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