Lixus bardanae

Appearance

This Lixus has the typical long and narrow habitus of the tribe Lixini

Habitat

This beetle lives on Rumex in damp areas, such as banks of rivers and boggy meadows.

Reproduction

The female chews a hole in the stem of the plant and deposits an egg, after which she covers the hole with plant material. When the larva hatches it feeds on the inside of the stem, boring its way down to the root, where it creates a pupal cradle in the ground, pupates and overwinters before emerging the next spring.