Cereal Leaf Beetle - Oulema duftschmidi/melanopus agg.

Length is about 6 mm. The elytra have a green iridescent sheen and well punctuated. The 'head' is red.

The two species Oulema duftschmidi and Oulema melanopus are almost impossible to separate without detailed examination. Unless the necessary detailed examination has taken place records should be submitted to this aggregate page.

See UK Beetles for more details on how to separate the two species.

Feeds on grasses and cereal crops.

Late Spring to early Autumn.

Adults and larvae both feed on leaves of cereal crops and may become a pest.

Common and widespread in the Southern half of Britain at least.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.