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Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Uniramia
Class: Pterygota – insects
Order: Coleoptera – beetlesIdentification
Phyllobius is a genus of "short-nosed weevils", in which the rostrum is relatively short and extends little beyond the points of attachment of the antennae.
P. pomaceus is a well-known species but requires attention to critical characters for certain identification. It is by no means the only green weevil of metallic appearanceAlthough described here as "green", it should be noted that the basic colour in this species is black, but with the beetle extensively coated with metallic, typically green to blue-green (sometimes also golden or coppery) scales. With age, more of the black ground colour is revealed as the scales are rubbed off.
There are 10 species of Phyllobius in Britain Morris (2004). A The genus is characterised by a scaly pubescence or by the tiny, metallic scales, which in most species coat the entire dorsal surface of the insect. The colour of these scales varies in many species, including P. pomaceus, from various shades of green to coppery brown. The majority are leaf-eaters, non-specifically on various trees.
The genus Polydrusus is very similar, the distinction being that the "scrobes" (the furrows in the rostrum into which the first joints of the antennae fit) are curved rather than straight – diagram in Joy (1932).
Distribution:Some sources call this the "Nettle Weevil" or the "Green Nettle Weevil", but see below regarding confusion over these names.
What To look For
i) relatively large size, length 7-9 mm;
ii) the femora each bear a conspicuous, more or less ventral tooth (most easily seen on the front pair of legs);
iii) the legs are black beneath the scales;
iv) the antennae are dark beneath the scales, though tinged rust right at the base and sometimes at the tips;
v) nettles (Urtica) as the host plant.
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