''Brassicogethes aeneus'', the common pollen beetle, is a species of

pollen beetle Pollen beetle is an informal term for any species of beetle associated intimately with suitably pollen-rich species of flowers. Typically such a beetle is adapted to the pollen as a major part of its diet. Species in at least sixteen families of th ...

in the family

Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antenna (biology), antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They fe ...

. Other common names include the rape pollen beetle and rape blossom beetle. It was previously known as ''Meligethes aeneus''. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and North America. Rapsglanzkäfer Meligethes aeneus 6666

A subspecies of ''Brassicogethes aeneus'' is ''B. aeneus dauricus''. Adults are about 2–3 mm long, 1–2 mm wide and black with a hint of metallic green. The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e are up to 3 mm long and white with brown

sclerotised Sclerotin is a component of the cuticle of various Arthropoda, most familiarly insects. It is formed by cross-linking members of particular classes of protein molecules, a biochemical process called sclerotization, a form of tanning in which qui ...

plates. ''Brassicogethes aeneus'' is an important pest of

oilseed rape Rapeseed (''Brassica napus ''subsp.'' napus''), also known as rape, or oilseed rape, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains a ...

. It is not known whether it contributes to the

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...

of the

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponic ...

. The female beetle lays its eggs in the

flower buds ''Flower Buds'' ( cs, Poupata) is a 2011 Czech drama film written and directed by Zdeněk Jiráský. Cast * Vladimír Javorský as Jarda * Malgorzata Pikus as Kamila * Marika Šoposká as Agáta * Miroslav Pánek as Honza * Natalie Řehořov� ...

of the

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

-plant and the larvae develop within the flowers.

Oviposition The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

and feeding damage the buds of oilseed rape and similar ''

Brassica ''Brassica'' () is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops from this genus are sometimes called ''cole cr ...

s'' and may cause the flowers to drop. Both adults and larvae feed on the

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

and

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

in the flowers.Williams, I. H. (1976), The infestation of oilseed rape (''Brassica napus'' L.) by the pests ''Meligethes aeneus'' Fab. and ''Ceuthorhynchus assimilis'' Payk. PhD thesis; University of London, UK.

References

* Audisio, P., A. R. Cline, A. De Biase, G. Antonini, E. Mancini, M. Trizzino, L. Costantini, et al. (2009). "Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)". ''Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae'', vol. 49, no. 2, 341–504.

See also

References

Further reading