| Glaucous Leaf Weevil (Phyllobius glaucus (Fabricius, 1792)) |
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Scientific name: Phyllobius glaucus (Fabricius, 1792) Common name: Glaucous Leaf Weevil Other names: Other scientific name: Phyllobius calcaratus. French name: Charançon éperonné Order: Coleoptera Family: Curculionidae Wingspan : 8 to 10 mm. Biotope: Damp forests, river banks or pond banks, on Alders and Birches. Geographic area: Europe. Observation period : April to October. |
The Glaucous Leaf Weevil has a black body covered with silver-green, golden or copper scales. These scales are thin like hairs. The antennae are long, slender and brown. The scape is weakly curved and progressively thickened to the apex. The three first articles of the funicule are elongated, the third one being at least twice longer than wide. The snout is long. The reddish or russet legs are also covered by scales. The femurs are rounded and show a tooth on the underside. Phyllobius pyri and Phyllobius pomaceus, also named Phyllobius urticae have a black ground colour on the femora, under the scales. |
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I have observed this Glaucous Leaf Weevil on Nettles near the bank of the pond where Alders and Birches grow. To avoid a black background on pictures shot with the flash, you need a close background , not too far. Here, my friend Xavier helped me by bending a nettle twig so that a leaf locate behind the Weevil. |
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I have first thought to Phyllobius pyri. Alain Ramel told me that is one should be Phyllobius glaucus. The ground colour of the legs confirms this identification. |
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I have first thought to the Green Nettle Weevil, Phyllobius pomaceus. But I was not quite sure because I have read that the ground colour of the legs should be black. It is reddish orange on this Weevil. So there is a high probability that this one is Phyllobius glaucus but I am not 100% sure. |
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These small Weevils are excellent subjects for shooting macro pictures. They do not move very quickly, they show beautiful colours and they do not display bad reflection with the use of flash lights. |
André Bon February 2016