Phratora is a genus of
leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' .
European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic coloration.
Distribution
''Phratora'' species are found in the Northern Hemisphere in areas that tend to be cool and moist where their host plants thrive. They are usually found in Northern and Southern Europe,
China and Japan, and in Canada and the United States of America.
![Phratora head](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Phratora_head.jpg)
Host plants
Species in this genus are of considerable interest to evolutionary ecology researchers because they vary with respect to host plant preference and chemistry of their larval defensive secretions.
''Phratora'' species are known to feed on willows (''
Phratora americana,
P. frosti,
P. interstitialis, P. tibialis,
Phratora vitellinae,
Phratora vulgatissima, P. polaris, P. purpurea''), poplars (''
Phratora laticollis
''Phratora laticollis'' is a species of Chrysomelidae, leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on ''Populus'' species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been st ...
, P. atrovirens,
Phratora vitellinae, P. purpurea''), or birch (''P. polaris'' in Lapland, ''
Phratora hudsonia''), and their host plant use is evolutionarily conserved in that closely related beetle species tend to feed on more closely related plant species.
![Phratora host use](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Phratora_host_use.png)
Natural enemies
Predators of ''Phratora'' eggs include ''A. nemorum,'' ''
Orthotylus marginalis''and the syrphid fly ''
Parasyrphus nigritarsis
''Parasyrphus nigritarsis'' is a species of hoverflies, hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. It is known from northern Europe and North America, and has been considered to be a rare species in parts of its range. Adults visi ...
''.
Larval predators include ''A. nemorum,'' the bug ''
Rhacognathus punctatus
''Rhacognathus punctatus'', the Heather Bug, is a species of stink bugs (family Pentatomidae).
Description
''Rhacognathus punctatus'' can reach a length of . This predatory stink bug has a mottled metallic bronze-brown shieldbug, extended should ...
'',
and the wasp ''
Symmorphus bifasciatus
''Symmorphus bifasciatus'', the willow mason-wasp, is a species of potter wasp, from the subfamily Eumeninae of the social wasp family Vespidae which is widely distributed in the Palearctic region.
Description
''Symmorphus bifasciatus''is one ...
''. Adult beetles are consumed by ''R. punctatus''.
More information about natural enemies can be found in the articles about ''
Phratora laticollis
''Phratora laticollis'' is a species of Chrysomelidae, leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on ''Populus'' species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been st ...
'', ''
Phratora vitellinae'' and ''
Phratora vulgatissima.''
Larval defense secretions
The mechanism of larval defensive secretion production, its relationship to host plant preference, and its evolutionary significance has been studied.
The secretions can repel natural enemies or conspecifics. More information about larval secretions can be found in the articles about ''Phratora laticollis
''Phratora laticollis'' is a species of Chrysomelidae, leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on ''Populus'' species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been st ...
'' and '' Phratora vitellinae''.
![Phratora vitellinae larva](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Phratora_vitellinae_larva.jpg)
Economic Importance
Some species (especially '' Phratora vulgatissima'') are considered pests when populations build up in willow plantations.
Species
These 16 species belong to the genus ''Phratora'':
* '' Phratora americana'' (Schaeffer, 1928) i c g b
* ''Phratora antennaria
Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' . European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic colo ...
'' (Apfelbeck, 1912) g
* ''Phratora atrovirens
Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' . European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic colo ...
'' (Cornelius, 1857) g
* ''Phratora californica
Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' . European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic colo ...
'' Brown, 1961 i c g
* ''Phratora frosti
''Phratora frosti'' is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae
The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 ge ...
'' Brown, 1951 i c g
* '' Phratora hudsonia'' Brown, 1951 i c g b (birch leaf beetle)
* ''Phratora interstitialis
''Phratora interstitialis'' is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and North America. This leaf beetle feeds on host plants that are poor in salicylates (e.g. ''Salix ale ...
'' Mannerheim, 1853 i c g b
* ''Phratora kenaiensis
Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' . European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic colo ...
'' Brown, 1952 i c g
* ''Phratora koreana
Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' . European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic colo ...
'' Takizawa, 1985 g
* ''Phratora laticollis
''Phratora laticollis'' is a species of Chrysomelidae, leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on ''Populus'' species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been st ...
'' (Suffrian, 1851) g
* ''Phratora polaris
''Phratora polaris'' is a species of Chrysomelidae, leaf beetle found in the Nordic regions of Europe., occasionally in Scotland, and Iceland. Some authors have recorded it in central Europe, especially in the Alps. Historically, this species has ...
'' (Sparre Schneider, 1886) g
* ''Phratora purpurea
''Phratora purpurea'', the aspen skeletonizer, is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found across North America, including Maryland, New York, Ontario, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. It feeds on willows ...
'' Brown, 1951 i c g b (aspen skeletonizer)
* ''Phratora similis
Phratora is a genus of leaf beetles. It is synonymous to ''Phyllodecta'' . European ''Phratora'' species can be distinguished based on morphology of female genitalia., but they differ little in size and body form and most show metallic colo ...
'' (Chujo, 1958) g
* ''Phratora tibialis
''Phratora tibialis'' is a species of leaf beetle found in Europe and parts of Asia. This beetle is found on willows (''Salix'' species) and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been stu ...
'' (Suffrian, 1851) g
* '' Phratora vitellinae'' (Linnaeus, 1758) g (brassy leaf beetle)
* '' Phratora vulgatissima'' (Linnaeus, 1758) g (blue willow leaf beetle)
Data sources: i = ITIS,[ c = Catalogue of Life,][ g = GBIF,][ b = Bugguide.net]
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q662803
Chrysomelinae
Chrysomelidae genera
Taxa named by Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat