Lives 3-8 weeks and flies actively when warm. Larvae in roots. Occurs from central and southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus to southwestern Siberia, but decreases in abundance from east to west and south to north. Collected in the Swiss Valais and eastern Austria and released in 1979 on the prairies. Screened by CABI Bioscience with Agriculture Canada and Saskatchewan funding.
Size is less important in cypress spurge, as the stems have a large pith.
To establish a viable population, it may be necessary to confine releases to a field cage. Failure on Canadian leafy spurge partly relates to the small pith in many stems. Photo A. McClay. Adult 0. erythrocephala. Photo R. Underwood.