''Sphaeroderma testaceum'', the artichoke beetle, is a species of

flea beetle The flea beetle is a small, jumping beetle of the leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae), that makes up the tribe Alticini which is part of the subfamily Galerucinae. Historically the flea beetles were classified as their own subfamily. Though m ...

s 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 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle ...

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe,

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

and

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

.D. Rivna
Field Crop Pests in the Near East
/ref> It is adventive in Northern America (Atlantic Canada),

Habitat

These beetles mainly inhabit wasteland, woodland, roadsides and other areas where host plants occur.

Description

Chrysomelidae - Sphaeroderma testaceum-001

''Sphaeroderma testaceum'' can reach a size of . These tiny beetles have a wide head, large eyes and the filiform antennae are close together between the eyes. Elytra are convex and slightly elongate and hind femora are rather enlarged. The pronotum shows coarse puncturation basally, prominent anterior corners, a well defined basal groove and two lateral notches. Elytra and pronotum are shiny light brown-orange. This species is very similar to ''

Sphaeroderma rubidum ''Sphaeroderma'' is a large genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, with some 250 species from the Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence ...

'' (Graëlls, 1853). It can be distinguished from the previous one on the basis of a smaller size and quadrate elytra, but especially with a close study of the genitalia.

Biology

Adults can be found from May/June to September. Pupation occurs in the spring and new adults may be seen from May. Overwintering occurs as 3rd (final) instar larvae, sometimes as imago. Both larvae and adults feed on leaves, especially on various species of Thistle (''

Carduus ''Carduus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, and the tribe Cardueae, one of two genera considered to be true thistles, the other being ''Cirsium''. Plants of the genus are known commonly as plumeless thistles.

'', ''

Carlina ''Carlina'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is distributed from Madeira and the Canary Islands across Europe and northern Africa to Siberia and northwestern China.Kovanda, M. (2002)Observations on ''Carlina bieberstein ...

'', '' Cirsium'', ''

Onopordum ''Onopordum'', or cottonthistle, is a genus of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. They are native to southern Europe, northern Africa, the Canary Islands, the Caucasus, and southwest and central Asia. They grow on disturb ...

'' and ''

Cynara ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which mea ...

'' species), on Common Knapweed (''

Centaurea nigra ''Centaurea nigra'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names lesser knapweed, common knapweed and black knapweed. A local vernacular name is hardheads. It is native to Europe but it is known on other ...

''), on ''

Serratula ''Serratula'' is a genus of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae native to Eurasia. Plumeless saw-wort is a common name for plants in this genus. ''Serratula'' as traditionally defined contains at least two groups: one of whi ...

'' species and on '' Cirsium arvense'' (in Canada).C.G. Majka and L. LeSag
Introduced leaf beetles of the Maritime Provinces, 1: Sphaeroderma testaceum (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 108: 243-247, 2006

Bibliography

* Anderson, R., Nash, R. & O'Connor, J.P.. 1997, Irish Coleoptera: a revised and annotated list, Irish Naturalists' Journal Special Entomological Supplement, 1-81 * du Chatenet, G, 2000, Coléoptères Phytophages D’Europe, NAP Editions, * Johnson, F.W & Halbert, J.N, 1902, A list of the Beetles of Ireland, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 6B: 535-827 * Joy, N.H., 1932, A practical handbook of British beetles, H.F. & G. Witherby,

References

Alticini Beetles described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius {{Galerucinae-stub