Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni

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Species Information
Length 7 mm. A metallic blue leaf beetle with violet or purple reflections. It is broadly-oval with a small head and a short, very transverse pronotum.

Overwinters as an adult and emerges in the spring.

Seen late spring until autumn, mainly on Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa), but also other broadleaved trees like Hazel, Birch and Willow.

Once a rare beetle which was previously believed to be extinct in the UK, following its rediscovery in 2004 in northwest England, it has spread rapidly and it is now locally common and often abundant across the south of England and the Midlands and it seems to be increasing in range and abundance.

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Classification

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Photographs

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All photographs copyright © Peter Hillman
Please see the ‘about‘ page for details on use of images

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