Insects - Pests of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Flowers - page 135

290

290 Adult of Lochmaea crataegi .

Lochmaea crataegi (Förster) ( 290 )
This widely distributed but local species is associated
with hawthorn ( Crataegus ), the larvae developing
within the fruits and eventually pupating in the soil. The
adults are 4-5 mm long, mainly yellowish brown to
reddish brown above and blackish below, with orange
legs and black antennae. They feed on the leaves from
May onwards. They are sometimes found on nursery
plants, but damage caused is not of significance.

adults and larvae grazing away longitudinal sections of
leaf tissue. Such damage is mildly disfiguring but
unimportant. The adult beetles (4.0-4.5 mm long) have
a black head and antennae, a brownish-orange thorax
and metallic, blue-green elytra. They appear in May, the
females depositing eggs on the leaves of suitable host
plants during June and July. Eggs hatch in about ten
days. Larvae, the stage most likely to be noticed on
ornamental grasses, are up to 6 mm long, with a
brownish-black head and a dirty-yellow body; they are
usually coated in slimy black excrement. They feed on
the upper surface of the leaves for 3-4 weeks before
entering the soil to pupate. Young adults emerge in the
late summer and feed briefly before hibernating. There
is just one generation annually.

Oulema melanopa (Linnaeus) ( 291-292 )
Cereal leaf beetle
This widely distributed but minor pest of cereals is
associated occasionally with ornamental grasses, such
as ribbon grass ( Phalaris arundinacea var. picta ), the

291 292

291 Cereal leaf beetle ( Oulema melanopa ). 292 Larva of cereal leaf beetle ( Oulema melanopa ).