Appearance
A fairly large (6.5-8.5mm) Leaf beetle that usually ranges in colour between metalic green and dark/blackish blue, rarely reddish golden. The pronotum is not as wide as the elytra and the antennae are relatively short.
Naming
Original valid description as Chrysomela aenea by Linnaeus in 1758. Later placed in the genus Linaeidea Motschulsky, 1860, that yet again later was joined with Plagiosterna Motschulsky, 1860 which was described just before Linaeidea.
Distribution
The genus Plagiosterna is mostly African (~30 species), with P. aenea reaching north and east up to Finland
Reproduction
Like in the closely related Chrysomela, the larvae of this Leaf beetle pupate on the substrate of the host tree, often on a leaf (as opposed to the more common Crysomelid habit of pupating in the ground). The pupae of Plagiosterna and Plagiodera, unlike Chrysomela, look a lot more like the pupae of Ladybird beetles and can be easily confused with these.
Food
This species is mostly found on Alder (Alnus spp), mostly on Black alder (Alnus glutinosa) in Central Europe. Rarely it is found feeding on Birch or Poplar.References:
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