Green Dock Beetle - Gastrophysa viridula

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Description

Length 4 to 6 mm. A small green-golden beetle the elytra often seem to have a sheen.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Usually found on Dock plants, it can be seen anywhere that Dock is present, such as roadside verges and field margins. It is often seen near to water.

When to see it

May and June.

Life History

The gravid female is very noticeable. Her body becomes so swollen that the wing cases are totally displaced. The larvae feed on Dock leaves.

UK Status

Common and widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 105 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.

  • David Nicholls
    Aylestone Meadows
    13 May 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Grace Dieu
    04 May 2008
    male attempting to mate with a pregnant female?
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    20 May 2013
    specimen examined
  • David Nicholls
    Aylestone Meadows
    13 May 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Martinshaw Wood
    27 June 2009
    larva
  • Mark Skevington
    Blaby
    21 May 2012
    Ova

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Green Dock Beetle
Species group:
Beetles
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Chrysomelidae
Records on NatureSpot:
235
First record:
15/06/2007 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
28/08/2024 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    06 July 2014
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    06 July 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Grace Dieu
    04 May 2008
  • David Gould
    Croft Pastures NR
    20 May 2010
    mating pairs
  • David Nicholls
    County Hall, Glenfield
    22 March 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft NR
    16 April 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Thornton Reservoir
    05 June 2012
  • David Nicholls
    Wirlybones Wood
    31 May 2013
  • David Gould
    Croft Pastures NR
    20 May 2010
    larvae on Dock
  • David Nicholls
    Wirlybones Wood
    31 May 2013
  • Graham Calow
    Stanton Lakes
    13 June 2013
    larvae skeletonizing Dock leaf
  • David Nicholls
    Wirlybones Wood
    31 May 2013