Asian Leaf Beetle - Chrysochares asiaticus Pall.
One of the largest and most colorful leaf beetles. The body of the beetle is stout, measuring 13–17 mm in length. The pronotum is wide, with rather sparse, shallow punctures; the largest of them is slightly ahead of the middle. The back and elytra are green with a purple sheen. The clypeus is wide, not separated from the forehead, with sparse punctures, bare or with rare hairs; the first segment of the antennae has sparse hairs. The elytra have strong shoulder tubercles, with a convoluted punctation on top.
Leaf beetles prefer arid areas. They predominantly inhabit steppe and forest-steppe zones. They are attracted to arid or dry, sometimes saline biotopes, favoring meadow habitats in the bottoms of steppe ravines.
They are often found in fallow and virgin steppe areas, occurring both in the steppe zone and in the biocenoses of floodplain and foothill forests.
Eggs are laid on plant parts (on leaves or stems), often in clusters in various positions; the coloration of the eggs is quite diverse, usually ranging from yellow to red. The eggs and larvae of leaf beetles are very vulnerable and can easily fall prey to predators such as ladybugs, predatory bugs, or small parasitic wasps.
First-stage larvae feed in groups. As they mature, the larvae may remain in the group or separate and feed individually. Larvae have been noted in the soil on the roots of host plants. Pupation occurs in a soil cocoon.
They fly in June–July in the thickets. The beetles damage the leaves of many plants and are more commonly found on certain weeds.
They are widespread in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and the southeastern part of Russia.
Distribution: Northern Tien Shan
Insects of Kyrgyzstan