About Brassicogethes aeneus (Fabricius, 1775)
Brassicogethes aeneus (Fabricius, 1775), commonly called the common pollen beetle, is a species of pollen beetle belonging to the family Nitidulidae. Its other common names are rape pollen beetle and rape blossom beetle, and it was previously classified under the name Meligethes aeneus. This species is distributed across Europe, Northern Asia excluding China, and North America. One recognized subspecies is Brassicogethes aeneus dauricus. Adult individuals measure approximately 2–3 mm in length and 1–2 mm in width. Their bodies are black with a faint metallic green tint. Full-grown larvae reach up to 3 mm in length; they are white with brown sclerotised plates. Brassicogethes aeneus is an important pest of oilseed rape, and it remains unknown whether this species contributes to pollination of the crop. Female beetles lay their eggs inside the flower buds of host plants, and larvae complete their development inside the flowers. Oviposition and feeding activity damage the buds of oilseed rape and similar Brassica crops, and this damage may cause flowers to drop from the plant. Both adult and larval B. aeneus feed on pollen and nectar inside host plant flowers.
