Chrysochus asclepiadeus

Appearance

''C. asclepiadeus'' has a dark blue body with a purplish metallic reflection. Adult males have an average length of 9.3 mm and an average width of 4.9 mm. Adult females are generally similar to males, but larger; they have an average length of 10.2 mm and average width of 5.4 mm.

Naming

In recent literature, ''Chrysochus asclepiadeus'' is usually listed as including two subspecies, ''Chrysochus asclepiadeus asclepiadeus'' and ''Chrysochus asclepiadeus asiaeminoris''. The nominate subspecies, ''C. a. asclepiadeus'', has a wide distribution range in Europe, while ''C. a. asiaeminoris'' is known only from Babadağ, Denizli in southwestern Turkey and has not been reported since its description in 1948. In 2015, Ekiz ''et al.'' found that the two subspecies are not geographically distinct and are morphologically very similar, and concluded that ''C. a. asiaeminoris'' is actually a synonym of the nominate subspecies.

Distribution

''C. asclepiadeus'' is distributed in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Moldavia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Russia , Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

Behavior

When disturbed, ''C. asclepiadeus'' releases a defensive secretion from glands on the protonum and elytra. The main components of this secretion are phenylalanine, tryptophane, leucine and diacetyl putrescine. Unlike the secretions of North American species ''Chrysochus auratus'' and ''Chrysochus cobaltinus'', the secretion of ''C. asclepiadeus'' does not contain cardenolides.