Oedemera virescens (Linnaeus, 1767)

This species occurs across most of the Palaearctic region, from Spain to the far east of Russia, China, Sakhalin and Japan, it is absent from most of Asia Minor and North Africa but has recently been recorded from Iran and is thought to be expanding its range. In Europe it is widespread and generally common in all but the highest mountain regions, it extends from Spain to Greece in the south and to the UK and all but the most northerly provinces of Fennoscandia. In the UK it is widespread but very local and, perhaps inexplicably, generally scarce; there are scattered records from South East and Northern England and Wales, and rather more from across Southern Scotland, but they tend to be common where they occur and, again, the species is thought to be expanding in range and abundance. Adults are active from March until August although specimens are occasionally recorded during January and February; they appear first on the earliest low flowers and then move on to blossom and a wide range of flowers, mostly various Apiaceae and Asteraceae where they feed on nectar and pollen. Reproduction begins early in the season following a period of feeding and proceeds into June or July. Females lay eggs low down on the stems of a wide range of herbaceous plants, and more specifically they have been observed ovipositing on species of Senecio L., Aconitum L., Helianthus L., Typha L. and Eupatorium L. Larvae initially mine the stems and work their way down into the root collar where they will continue to develop through the summer and then overwinter, they finish developing in the spring and pupate in situ during February or March. Typical habitats include densely vegetated grassland, heathland and scrub but they also occur on disturbed sites such as roadsides, railway embankments and parkland, and in northern Europe, where they seem to prefer yellow flowers, they often occur in open woodland and even domestic gardens. Finding adults relies on being able to recognize them in the field; they are superficially similar to the very common O. lurida but on average larger and more robust and, with experience, the swollen hind femora of males may become obvious.