Species information
How to identify
Medium-sized black beetle with red margins along the outer edge of each wing case. 7-11m in length. Wing cases are black and coarsely punctured. The very front edge of the pronotum (between the eyes) is straight or slightly convex, compared with the very similar and equally rare Chrysolina sanguinolenta (whose pronotum is concave).
Lifecycle
Lifespan: approximately 1 year. Adult leaf beetles lay eggs from March to June. Larvae are generally evident from about mid-March to June.
Distribution
Plantain leaf beetles are only found in Scotland. They are found on Orkney with a population also on Shetland.
Habitat and feeding
Habitat: Cliff-top grasslands, saltmarshes
Feeding: They feed on species of plantain, toadflax (Linaria species), ivy-leaved toadflax and snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
When to see
Adults have been recorded in most months of the year from January to September.
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN Red List) Nationally Rare within Great Britain
Threats
Loss of habitat and over-grazing.
What Species on the Edge is doing
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Raising awareness of the species
- Survey and monitoring in an effort to find more populations and to learn more about the species
Watch
Leaf beetles with Suzanne Burgess – Species on the Edge Winter Talk Series
On 11th March 2025 we had the third talk in our 2024/25 Winter Talk Series: Leaf beetles with Suzanne Burgess. Suzanne Burgess is Development Manager with invertebrate conservation charity Buglife, one of the Species on the Edge partners. It was a fascinating talk, taking a deep dive into the shiny, colourful world of leaf beetles, with lots of practical guidance on identifying leaf beetles, including one of our Species on the Edge target species, the plantain leaf beetle.
Watch the full video on YouTube. You can find the transcript of the talk and a list of further resources here: Leaf beetles with Suzanne Burgess | Species on the Edge Winter Talk Series
Resources
If you are interested in getting involved in our work for the plantain leaf beetle in Orkney, Shetland or the North Coast, get in touch with your local team to find out how you can help.
North Coast: Sarah Bird – sarah.bird@plantlife.org.uk
Orkney: Sam Stringer – samantha.stringer@rspb.org.uk
Shetland: Gareth Powell – gareth.powell@rspb.org.uk
Gallery
