Galerucella pusilla (Duftschmidt, 1825)

golden loosestrife beetle

Galerucella pusilla larva

Lythrum salicaria, Canada © Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Archive

mine

Full-depth corridor; frass in a central line. Corridor sides irregularly eaten out. The larva vacates the mine rather soon and continues living freely under the leaf, causing extensive window feeding.

host plants

Lythraceae, monophagous

Lythrum salicaria.

phenology

Larvae mine in July (Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2007).

NE recorded (Beenen & Winkelman, 1993a; Fauna Europaea, 2007).

LUX not observed (Fauna Europaea, 2007).

distribution within Europe

From the Iberian Peninsula, Ireland and Norway to Mongolia (Cox, 2007a; Fauna Europaea, 2007; Warchalowski, 2003a).

pupa

See Steinhausen (1994a, 1996b, 2002a).

synonyms

Altica, Neogalerucella, Pyrrhalta, pusilla.

notes

After its introduction in North America, purple loosestrife has developed into a serious pest. For its biological control subsequently G. pusilla has been imported there.

Not considered a leafminer by most authors.

references

Beenen & Winkelman (1993a), Bukejs (2009d), Cox (2007a), Farina (2015a), Gavrilović & Ćurčić (2013a), Hering (1957a), Kofler (2011a), Pozsgai (2005a), Regalin, Bezděk, Penati & Ciapponi (2006a), Robbins (1991a), Sønderup (1949a), Steinhausen (1994a, 1996b, 2002a), Warchalowski (2003a).