Phratora purpurea

Brown, 1951

aspen skeletonizer

Phratora purpurea, known as the aspen skeletonizer, is a leaf beetle in the Chrysomelidae. It occurs across North America from the Northwest Territories to Ontario and south to Maryland and New York. The feeds on willows and poplars, with documented including Populus tremuloides, P. grandidentata, P. balsamifera, and Salix fragilis. emerge from in spring, with peak mating and -laying activity in mid-June.

Phratora purpurea by NCalBeetleGuy. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Phratora purpurea: /fræˈtoʊrə pərˈpjʊriə/

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Identification

Deep purple or coppery red coloration distinguishes this from many other Phratora. The specific association with poplars and willows may aid identification, though confirmation requires examination of morphological characters.

Images

Habitat

Associated with supporting its plants: willows (Salix) and poplars (Populus), including aspen stands.

Distribution

North America, including Maryland, New York, Ontario, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories.

Seasonality

emerge from in spring. Active mating and -laying occurs in mid-June. Adults disappear as eggs and larvae appear. New adults emerge in late summer.

Diet

Feeds on willows and poplars. Documented : Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen), Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen), Populus balsamifera (balsam poplar), and Salix fragilis (crack willow). Larvae feed on host plant leaves.

Host Associations

  • Populus tremuloides - food plantquaking aspen
  • Populus grandidentata - food plantbigtooth aspen
  • Populus balsamifera - food plantbalsam poplar
  • Salix fragilis - food plantcrack willow

Life Cycle

are laid in clutches of 6–15, arranged in two rows on the underside of plant leaves. First instar larvae feed in groups side by side in a single row. Second and third instars feed in smaller groups or solitarily. occurs in soil, not on the host plant. emerge in late summer, then overwinter.

Behavior

Larvae exhibit progressive change in feeding : first instars feed in coordinated groups, later instars become more solitary. are present in spring, disappear during larval development, and re-emerge in late summer.

Ecological Role

Herbivore on Populus and Salix . Larval feeding skeletonizes leaves (hence the ).

Similar Taxa

  • Other Phratora speciesShare similar leaf beetle and associations with Salicaceae; distinguished by coloration and specific host preferences where documented.

More Details

Subspecies

Two recognized: Phratora purpurea purpurea Brown, 1951 and Phratora purpurea novaeterrae Brown, 1951.

Life history documentation

Detailed notes for P. p. purpurea in Maryland (Cavey 1994) describe patterns also observed in other Phratora .

Sources and further reading