| Calligrapha exclamationis | |
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| Species: | C. exclamationis |
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| Calligrapha exclamationis (Fabricius, 1798) | |
Calligrapha exclamationis, commonly known as the sunflower beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. [1] It is regarded as a pest of sunflower crops in North America.
C. exclamationis is a small leaf beetle, 6–12 mm in length, 2–4 mm wide, [2] with a brown pronotum and yellow elytra marked with three, elongated brown stripes and a single, shorter, lateral stripe ending at the middle of the wing in a small dot that resembles an exclamation point. [3] This arrangement bears similarities to the exclamation mark from where this species gets its Latin name. Adult beetles are morphological similar to the Colorado potato beetle, a pest of potato crops. [4]
The larvae are humpbacked in appearance, yellow-green in colour, [3] [5] and may measure 0.35 inches (8.9 mm) in length at maturity. [4]
C. exclamationis is native to North America. [1] Adult beetles are phytophagous and associated with the sunflower species Helianthus annuus (common sunflower), H. giganteus (giant sunflower), and H. petiolaris (prairie sunflower). [6] It is a major economic pest to sunflower production in North America. [3]
Overwintering adults emerge in late May or early June. Shortly after emergence, the beetles begin to feed, mate and lay eggs singly on stems and undersides of leaves. [5] Adults live for about 8 weeks and are capable of laying eggs for most of this period. [5] Each female lays approximately 850 eggs, with a range of 200 to 2,000 eggs. [3] Eggs hatch into larvae after about one week; the young larvae feed on the leaves at night. [7] They hide among the bracts of the flower bud and amongst leaves during the day. The larvae feed for about two weeks but, because of the long egg laying period, larvae may be present in the field for about six weeks in June or July. [7]
The larvae have four instars. When mature, the larvae enter the soil to pupate in earthen cells. The pupal stage lasts from 10 days to two weeks. Adults of the new generation emerge and feed for a short period on the sunflower head or on the uppermost leaves of the plant; they do not mate or lay eggs before re-entering the soil to overwinter. [8]
There are many predators of C. exclamationis in its different life stages. Eggs are predated by the melyrid beetle Collops vittatus , the thirteen spotted ladybird Hippodamia tredecimpunctata , and the convergent ladybird H. convergens . [3] Larvae of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea consume both eggs and larvae. [3] The spined soldier bug Podius maculiventris predates both larvae and adults. [3]
Eggs of C. exclamationis are parasitised by the pteromalid wasp Erixestus winnemana , larvae by the tachinid fly species Myiopharus macellus and M. doryphorae . [3] The rate of parasitisation is high in some fields in Canada and the USA can be as high as 70-100%. [3]
The sunflower beetle is considered to be one of the most damaging defoliators of cultivated sunflowers in North America. [9] Advice published by Kansas State University in 2016 recommends the use of insecticide treatment of sunflower crops if any of the following conditions are met: one adult beetle is present per seedling, larvae reach numbers of 10-15 per plant on upper leaves, or 25 percent defoliation occurs and pupation has not begun. [10] Given the short larval and adult life cycle, delayed planting of sunflower crops is effective in preventing yield reductions caused by sunflower beetle. [11] Recommended insecticides for infested crops include: Beta-cyfluthrin, Carbaryl, Deltamethrin, Esfenvalerate, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Lambda-cyhalothrin, and Zeta-cypermethrin. [10]
The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, but the precise taxonomy and systematics are likely to change with ongoing research.
The common asparagus beetle is an important pest of asparagus crops both in Europe and in North America. Asparagus is its only food plant. The beetle is 6.0 mm to 9.5 mm long and slightly elongated. It is metallic blue-black in color with cream or yellow spots on its red-bordered elytra. The larvae are fat gray grubs with dark heads.
The scarlet lily beetle, red lily beetle, or lily leaf beetle, is a leaf beetle that eats the leaves, stem, buds, and flowers, of lilies, fritillaries and other members of the family Liliaceae. It lays its eggs most often on Lilium and Fritillaria species. In the absence of Lilium and Fritillaria species, there are fewer eggs laid and the survival rate of eggs and larvae is reduced. It is now a pest in most temperate climates where lilies are cultivated.
The flea beetle is a small, jumping beetle of the leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae), that makes up the tribe Alticini which is part of the subfamily Galerucinae. Historically the flea beetles were classified as their own subfamily.
The cereal leaf beetle is a significant crop pest, described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
The Mexican bean beetle is a species of lady beetle that can be an agricultural pest. It is one of the few North American lady beetles that feed on plants rather than other insects. It is found throughout Mexico and the eastern United States, and is abundant in the wetter and more heavily irrigated areas west of the Rocky Mountains. It does not tolerate extremely dry areas.
The Chrysomelinae are a subfamily of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), commonly known as broad-bodied leaf beetles or broad-shouldered leaf beetles. It includes some 3,000 species around the world.
Coleomegilla maculata, commonly known as the spotted lady beetle, pink spotted lady beetle or twelve-spotted lady beetle, is a large coccinellid beetle native to North America. The adults and larvae feed primarily on aphids and the species has been used as a biological control agent. Based on name connotation and to avoid confusion with other species also called "spotted ladybeetle", spotted pink ladybeetle is probably the most appropriate common name for this species.
The sumac flea beetle, Blepharida rhois, is most commonly found in North America and is a member of the herbivorous beetle family, Chrysomelidae. More specifically, this beetle is part of the Alticinae subfamily, a highly diverse subfamily that includes more than 1000 species in 550 genera. Members of the Chrysomelidae family are distinguished by their enlarged metafemora and their ability to jump up to 100 times their length. This gives the beetle the ability to catapult jump in order to escape approaching predators. This ability has led to the common name of “flea beetle.” Both larvae and adults are typically a quarter of an inch long. While adults are cream colored with irregular reddish patterns, larvae are typically gray with yellow stripes.
Gratiana boliviana is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. Its common name is tropical soda apple leaf beetle. It is native to South America, where its distribution includes Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It specializes on tropical soda apple, an invasive plant species. It has been released as an agent of biological pest control against the weedy plant in Florida and other parts of the United States.
Calligrapha bicolorata, variously referred to as the Parthenium beetle or Mexican beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.
Calligrapha is a large genus of American Chrysomelinae, with over 100 species occurring from North America through Central America.
Calligrapha disrupta is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.
Calligrapha arizonica is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.
Calligrapha conjuncta is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.
Calligrapha continua is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.
Calligrapha suturalis, commonly known as the ragweed leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus. Native to North America, it has been introduced into Russia and China for the biological pest control of ragweed.
Calligrapha heterothecae is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.
Calligrapha malvae is a species of leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, in the subgenus Zygogramma, which was formerly a genus.. It is found in Central America and North America.
Cylindrocopturus adspersus, the sunflower stem weevil, is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America, where the larvae tunnel in the stems of wild and cultivated sunflower plants.