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Elm leaf beetle (meal)
Xanthogaleruca luteola
-37.8956, 145.314
Field Notes
Description:
A 18mm spider attacks a 8mm beetle. The beetle is yellow with pale grey, striated wing covers and some dark markings on the pronotum.
Habitat:
On a school wall during daytime.
Notes:
"Elm Leaf Beetles are around 6 mm in length. They are attractive mainly yellow beetles with black stripes on their elytra (protective wing covers) and black spots on their thorax. As adults, Elm Leaf Beetles eat distinctive ‘shot-holes’ in the leaves. The larvae ‘skeletonise’ the leaves by consuming everything but the veins of the leaves.
Once the larvae are ready to pupate they move down the trunk of the tree to pupate in the soil or in any crevices in the bark of the lower trunk. One control method is to trap the larvae as they move down the tree trunk between mid December and February.
When the weather starts to get cooler the adult beetles can over-winter in peoples’ homes or cars. In spring, when the weather starts to warm up again, they re-emerge and start looking for Elm trees again." - http://museumvictoria.com.au/
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Xanthogaleruca+luteola
Thanks martinl for identity of beetle.
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