Leaf beetle
Leaf beetle | |
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Scarlet lily beetle, Lilioceris lilii | |
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Family: | Chrysomelidae |
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See text. |
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Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles. This is a family of over 35,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, one of the largest and most commonly-encountered of all beetle families.
Leaf beetles are partially recognizable by their tarsal formula, which appears to be 4-4-4, but is actually 5-5-5.[2] They are distinguished with difficulty from long-horned beetles (family Cerambycidae) by having the antennae NOT arising from frontal tubercles. Adult and larval leaf beetles feed on all sorts of plant tissue. Many are economically important pests of agriculture, for example the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), the asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi), the cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus), and various flea beetles.
Classification
- Subfamily Bruchinae Latreille, 1802
- Subfamily Chrysomelinae Latreille, 1802
- Subfamily Criocerinae Latreille, 1804
- Subfamily Cryptocephalinae Gyllenhal, 1813
- Subfamily Donaciinae Kirby, 1837
- Subfamily Eumolpinae Hope, 1840
- Subfamily Galerucinae Latreille, 1802
- Subfamily Hispinae Gyllenhal, 1813
- Subfamily Lamprosomatinae Lacordaire, 1848
- Subfamily Sagrinae Leach, 1815
- Subfamily Spilopyrinae Chapuis, 1874
Gallery
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A flea-beetle from India
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Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata
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Timarcha sp.
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Common asparagus beetle Crioceris asparagi
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A beetle from the subfamily Hispinae
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Dogbane leaf beetles Chrysochus auratus
References
- ^ "Chrysomelidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ "Family Identification - Chrysomeloidea". University of Florida. Retrieved 2006-11-29.