Forum Entomologi Italiani

Questo proprio non so chi sia. Trovato sotto un sasso, in una zona aperta, sabbiosa con sassi, in mezzo ad una foresta. Lunghezza 5-6 mm. Le foto non sono molto buone anche perche' il soggetto riflette molto la luce; il colore naturale e' sul dorato-marroncino. Anche sono una identificazione della famiglia sarebbe di molto aiuto !

This is European Chrysolina quadrigemina introduced to USA to control host plant Hypericum perforatum. Now is known also from Canada.

Grazie super mille !!!

I checked, and of course you are right, it was introduced to fight St. Johnswort, which apparently it has done very effectively...in California, where it was originally introduced..what was it doing the other side of the continent in upper state NY ?

I would have never identified it by myself..many thanks again !

Now it is widely distributed in USA : CA, CO, ID, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, UT, VA, WA, WV (Hoebeke 1993, Riley et al. 2003, online images (Bugguide.net)) and in Canada: BC, NB, NS, ON, QC (Hoebeke 1993, Bousquet et al. 2013)

Prolific little bugger !!!!!