Silver-green Leaf Weevil Phyllobius argentatus
There are several genera of weevils comprised of green species. Two of which are notorious when it comes to identifying the right species: Phyllobius and Polydrusus. So you have to start by knowing how to tell apart the two genera. Luckily there are two major characteristics for you to pay attention to. First of all the front legs. Polydrusus species have smooth front legs. Phyllobius species have a little hook pointing backwards on the upper part of the front leg. This characteristic is most useful studying the animal's side. Looking from above, there is another striking difference: the antennae. Not the antennae themselves, but the hole they sprout from. This is situated at the top of the snout of Phyllobius species, so looking from above you look right into these holes. In Polydrusus species however this hole is situated more at the side of the snout. So the holes are not completely visible when looking from above.
But telling apart the two genera is just the beginning. Telling apart the species within the genus is even more complicated. And if you don't have the right details on your pictures, it is often impossible to distinguish one species from the other. In many cases only an examination of the genitals of the animal gives certainty. In this case we show you Phyllobius argentatus, which has been identified by an expert. At least the top picture has been identified. But we believe the other two pictures to be this species as well.
The Silver-green Leaf Weevil is black covered in colourful scales, measuring 4 to 6 mm. In many animals the scales are green. But often they are partly or completely copper, gold or even purple, meaning this is a very variable beetle indeed. Adult beetles can be found on all kinds of trees where they feed on leaves. The larvae look like maggots and live inside the stems of various trees and shrubs. In autumn they drop on the ground, dig themselves a little and pupate. The puppa overwinters and the fresh beetles appear in late spring. A very common species, found in Europe, Northern Asia and Japan. The Silver-green Leaf Weevil has also been introduced in the USA, where it is known as the Green Immigrant Weevil.
