Stats

Lifespan

Annual

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

Europe and Asia

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Uncommon

About

This leaf beetle lives on mint and nettle plants throughout grassy meadows. It carries its own waste on its back as a shield to deter hungry predators.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Chrysomelidae

Genus

Cassida

Species

Cassida viridis