Here’s a deep overview of the Brown Mint Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina staphylaea), a small but striking beetle associated with mint plants and related vegetation.

🪲 Brown Mint Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina staphylaea)

🔹 Taxonomy

Order: Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family: Chrysomelidae (Leaf beetles)
Genus: Chrysolina
Species: C. staphylaea

🌍 Distribution and Range

Native to Europe, especially widespread in northern and central regions.
Recorded in the British Isles, Scandinavia, and across continental Europe.
Introduced populations reported in North America (especially Canada).

🏞️ Habitat

Prefers damp meadows, riverbanks, woodland edges, and gardens.
Closely tied to plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae).
Found on wild mints, water mint (Mentha aquatica), and sometimes in cultivated herb gardens.

✨ Identification Features

A medium-sized, compact leaf beetle (5–7 mm long).

Color:
- Adults are reddish-brown to dark copper in color, with a metallic sheen.
Shape:
- Rounded, convex body typical of Chrysolina beetles.
- Elytra (wing cases) smooth, sometimes with fine punctures.
Legs and antennae: Dark, short, and robust.

🔎 Easily distinguished from the green or golden Chrysolina species by its copper-brown coloration.

🌸 Diet and Host Plants

Adults and larvae feed primarily on plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae):
- Wild mint (Mentha aquatica, Mentha arvensis)
- Peppermint and spearmint in gardens
- Other herbs such as Melissa (lemon balm) and Nepeta (catmint) occasionally.

Feeding creates notches and holes in leaves, but populations are usually not large enough to cause serious harm.

🔄 Life Cycle

Eggs: Laid on host plants, often on the underside of mint leaves.
Larvae: Small, dark grubs that feed on leaves; pupate in the soil.
Adults: Overwinter in leaf litter or soil, reappearing in spring.
Generations: Typically one generation per year in temperate climates.

🦋 Behavior

Often found in small groups on mint plants.
Adults are sluggish compared to other beetles, usually dropping from leaves when disturbed.
Capable of limited flight but prefers staying close to host plants.

⚖️ Conservation Status

Not threatened; relatively widespread and stable.
Locally common where suitable wet mint-rich habitats exist.
In gardens, considered more of a curiosity than a pest.

✅ In summary:
The Brown Mint Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina staphylaea) is a compact, reddish-copper beetle specialized for mint plants and damp habitats. While it occasionally feeds on garden mint, it is more often a charming representative of the leaf beetle family, important in the natural balance of herbivore–plant interactions in wetlands and meadows.