Broad-shouldered Leaf Beetle vs Riffle Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Broad-shouldered Leaf Beetle Riffle Beetle
Scientific Name Chrysomela tremula Elmis aenea
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Elmidae
Size 7-11 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Farmland Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Detritivores
Regions Europe, Siberia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Broad-shouldered Leaf Beetle

A robust, convex beetle with dark metallic greenish-black to bronze elytra and irregular rows of punctures. It is closely associated with aspen and poplar trees.

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Did You Know?

Populations of this beetle can reach outbreak levels in aspen plantations, completely stripping trees of their foliage.

Riffle Beetle

A tiny, dark beetle that spends its entire adult life underwater clinging to rocks in riffles. It breathes using a plastron, a permanent thin film of air.

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Did You Know?

Its plastron air film never needs replenishing, allowing it to remain permanently submerged.