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Project Noah Nature School
Lema bilineata
The South American chrysomelid Lema bilineata Germar is recorded for the first time in Australia. Adults and larvae were found feeding on Prairie Ground Cherry (Physalis viscosa L.) in an open greenhouse in Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales during November 2008. The greenhouse population was eradicated immediately after it was recognised as a potential biosecurity threat but further detections of L. bilineata were subsequently made in the Cootamundra area. L. bilineata feeds on a range of solanaceous plants including both crop species and weeds, and has potential negative and positive impacts on agriculture in south-eastern Australia. The literature suggests that L. bilineata is a significant pest only of tobacco, and legal tobacco production in Australia ceased in October 2006 following the cancellation of all grower licences (Australian Taxation Office 2008). There is little data to suggest that L. bilineata has the potential to be a serious pest of solanaceous vegetables.
About 1cm long.
The head and thorax look more similar in Ashish's suggestion. But it still lacks the yellow colouring on the thorax. Do we need to inform CSIRO that it's reached Victoria ;-)
These are the only species in Prasocuris based on EOL
Prasocuris boreella (Schaeffer, 1928)
Prasocuris obliquata J. L. LeConte, 1866
Prasocuris ovalis Blatchley, 1910
Prasocuris phellandrii (Linnaeus 1758)
Prasocuris vittata (Olivier, 1807)
http://eol.org/pages/43477/entries/33569...
It's a tough one, but I think I can call it.
My closest fit is
The colorful leaf beetle - Prasocuris vittata
http://bugguide.net/node/view/187253
I don't think it is a match because 1/ thicker antennae 2/ legs black 3/ thorax differs. I cannot find a sibling species. =(
They are feeding on yellow flowers of brassica and ranunculus (therefore yellow stripes =) ) http://www.galerie-insecte.org/galerie/v...
Here's some photos of the plants it was on: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/112...
Might head back down there tomorrow and take another look. There was definately dock weeds, long grass and whatever this weed was. I'll get some more pics. Yeah, come and have a look!
The green bug (correctly identified as Nezara viridula) is also an exotic pest and the weed along the creek is possibly exotic too. I would love to go to this spot for a look.
Yes, I was a bit dubious about the potato beetle - but it does look similar. I don't know the name of the plant - I'll see if I have a photo - big leafy green plant/weed growing by the side of the river. There were quite a few of these beetles and I found all the green leaf beetle spottings on the same plant.
I am not aware of the potato beetle occurring in Australia.
The cucumber beetle is closer but still not a match and still not Australian.
http://www.texasento.net/Acalymma.htm
This may be an exotic species introduced on vegetables or other plants.
Do you recall what it was feeding on? This may assist in ID
Could this be a Three-lined potato beetle? http://www.whatsthatbug.com/category/bee...
I can't find much info on them though.
Spotted on May 20, 2012
Submitted on May 20, 2012
+1
