Common Beetles of our Countryside 



than any Longitarsus, and of quite a different shape and 

 colour. This will be a Haltica, the genus from which all 

 the other genera of these leaping Phytophagous beetles 

 take their family name of Halticidce. This genus Haltica 

 is, however, probably one of the most difficult among 

 all our British Coleoptera, although its members are 

 but few. 



No one knows with certainty how many species we 

 have in this country, or which they may be, according 

 to the nomenclature of the Continent. They are all 

 fairly large beetles, 3 to 6 mm., and all of a shining dark 

 blue varying into green or purple. Several of them 

 we can name with some confidence, partly perhaps 

 because of their association with special food plants. 

 Thus, one of them, H. lyihri (the Haltica of the Lythrum) 

 and that the largest of them all, is attached to the Purple 

 Loosestrife. Another, rather green than blue in colour, 

 H. coryli (the Haltica of the Hazel) to that tree in several 

 of the woods in the south of England. Then there are 

 at least two H. ericeti and H. britteni (named after its 

 food plant and the English coleopterist, Mr. Britten, 

 respectively) which undoubtedly feed on heather. But it 

 is improbable that our present capture is of any of these, 

 much more likely it is to be another species, by far 

 the most abundant of them all, and which can be 

 swept up almost anywhere in the kingdom. It occurs 

 commonly on heaths, but species of Erica need not 

 therefore constitute its only food. Its name has been 

 the subject of much confusion among students, and 

 discussion among authorities. Supposed originally to 



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