Meligethes aeneus (Fabricius, 1775)
(Common Pollen Beetle)

Interactions where Meligethes aeneus is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
larva larva feeds on live flower bud pollen Brassica cabbages, mustards, turnips and rape Brassicales: Brassicaceae Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden Plants, Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Meligethes aeneus/Meligethes aeneuscommon pollen beetlelarva Foodplant / feeds on /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Brassicales/Brassicaceae/Brassica/Brassicacabbages, mustards, turnips and rapeliveflower bud pollen

Interactions where Meligethes aeneus is the victim or passive partner (and generally loses out from the process)

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Filters:

Affected Part Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season Summary
larva is endoparasitoid host of larva Questionable Eutrias tritoma a small parasitic wasp Hymenoptera: Figitidae Hymenoptera Cynipoidea: Eucoilidae, Quinlan, J., 1978
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Figitidae/Eutrias tritoma/Eutrias tritomaa small parasitic wasplarva Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Meligethes aeneus/Meligethes aeneuscommon pollen beetle?larva larva is endoparasitoid of larva
larva is endoparasitoid host of larva UK/Ireland Phradis interstitialis a tersilochine ichneumon Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae The separation of two hymenopteran parasitoids, Tersilochus obscurator and Tersilochus microgaster (Ichneumonidae), of stem-mining pests of winter oilseed rape using DNA, morphometric and ecological data, Barari, H., Ferguson, A.W., Piper, R.W., Smith, E., Quicke, D.L.J. & Williams, I.H., 2005
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Ichneumonidae/Phradis interstitialis/Phradis interstitialisa tersilochine ichneumonlarva Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoidUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Meligethes aeneus/Meligethes aeneuscommon pollen beetlelarva larva is endoparasitoid of larva
larva is endoparasitoid host of larva UK/Ireland Tersilochus heterocerus a tersilochine ichneumon Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae The separation of two hymenopteran parasitoids, Tersilochus obscurator and Tersilochus microgaster (Ichneumonidae), of stem-mining pests of winter oilseed rape using DNA, morphometric and ecological data, Barari, H., Ferguson, A.W., Piper, R.W., Smith, E., Quicke, D.L.J. & Williams, I.H., 2005
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Ichneumonidae/Tersilochus heterocerus/Tersilochus heterocerusa tersilochine ichneumonlarva Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoidUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Meligethes aeneus/Meligethes aeneuscommon pollen beetlelarva larva is endoparasitoid of larva

Author & YearTitleSource
Barari, H., Ferguson, A.W., Piper, R.W., Smith, E., Quicke, D.L.J. & Williams, I.H., 2005The separation of two hymenopteran parasitoids, Tersilochus obscurator and Tersilochus microgaster (Ichneumonidae), of stem-mining pests of winter oilseed rape using DNA, morphometric and ecological dataBulletin of Entomological Research Vol 95: 299-307.
Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden PlantsCollins Photoguide, 2nd edition edition, Collins
Quinlan, J., 1978Hymenoptera Cynipoidea: EucoilidaeHandbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol 8. Part 1b, 58pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London

Meligethes aeneus (Common Pollen Beetle) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Meligethes aeneus (Common Pollen Beetle) may also be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesMeligethes aeneus (Common Pollen Beetle)
GenusMeligethes (a genus of pollen beetles)
FamilyNITIDULIDAE (pollen and sap beetles)
SuperfamilyCUCUJOIDEA (a superfamily of beetles)
Series Cucujiformia (a group of beetles)
SuborderPOLYPHAGA (mainly terrestrial beetles)
OrderCOLEOPTERA (beetles)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Meligethes aeneus (Common Pollen Beetle)

Meligethes aeneus (Common Pollen Beetle) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may be relevant to Meligethes aeneus (Common Pollen Beetle):

A very common pollen beetle, especially on yellow flowers like Oil-seed Rape.

As the beetles are so abundant and of similar size to the Oil-seed Rape seeds they presumably end up being processed into your margarine!

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