Whose been eating my leaves?
Curious rust coloured 'mosaic' leaves were in large supply in the nature reserve at Nind today. The culprit, the metallic blue alder leaf beetle seemed to be smirking to itself on the newer, fresher green leaves and I expect you can guess why.
The Alder beetle despite its name, feeds on beech, hazel and hornbeam too. Its black larvae rapidly destroy a great many leaves after hatching in spring and summer.
Apparently this beetle was considered extinct in Britain after the war years but then reappeared in 2003. Fortunately, the trees can survive the damage
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