Lochmaea suturalis
Encyclopedia
Lochmaea suturalis, commonly referred to as the heather beetle, is a beetle of the genus Lochmaea native to north-west Europe. It feeds upon heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...

. They are difficult to spot as they are camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...

d with a brownish colour, and are about 6 millimetre (0.236220472440945 in) long. They have a tendency to hide, and they drop into the undergrowth if they are disturbed. They are easier to see when in large numbers on the same plant.

The adult beetle spends the winter in dormant diapause
Diapause
Diapause is the delay in development in response to regularly and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions. It is considered to be a physiological state of dormancy with very specific initiating and inhibiting conditions...

 in moss or litter in the undergrowth of the heather plants, and they do this until the spring weather brings a rise in temperature, which stimulates them to emerge, feed, and reproduce. They are able to fly up to a range of several miles after spring emergence. They will generally do this after fire, when the surrounding heather is of poor quality, or if the heather has been browsed enough that it turns into grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

. They do however, have a level of resilience and are able to survive for some time in grassland such as Deschampsia flexuosa
Deschampsia flexuosa
-Introduction:Deschampsia flexuosa Trin. or Wavy Hair-grass is a species of bunchgrass in the Poaceae family with a Holarctic distribution.-Habitat and distribution:...

.
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