The flea beetle is any small, jumping beetle of the leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae) that is part of the tribe Alticini, which is part of the subfamily Galerucinae. Historically the flea beetles were classified as their own subfamily.
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.
The Cryptocephalinae are a subfamily of the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), and belong to the group of case-bearing leaf beetles called the Camptosomata. The cases are made from the feces of larvae, passed from one instar to the next, and ultimately serves as a pupation chamber.
The Eumolpinae are a subfamily of the leaf beetles, or Chrysomelidae. It is one of the largest subfamilies of leaf beetles, including more than 500 genera and 7000 species. They are oval, and convex in form, and measure up to 10 mm in size. Typical coloration for this subfamily of beetles ranges from bright yellow to dark red. Many species are iridescent or brilliantly metallic blue or green in appearance.
The Cassidinae are a subfamily of the leaf beetles, or Chrysomelidae. The antennae arise close to each other and some members have the pronotal and elytral edges extended to the side and covering the legs so as to give them the common name of tortoise beetles. Some members, such as in the tribe Hispini, are notable for the spiny outgrowths to the pronotum and elytra.
The Megalopodidae are a small family of leaf beetles, previously included as a subfamily within the Chrysomelidae. One of its constituent subfamilies, Zeugophorinae, has also frequently been treated as a subfamily within Chrysomelidae. The family contains approximately 30 genera worldwide, primarily in the nominate subfamily Megalopodinae, and mostly circumtropical.
Camptosomata are the case-bearing leaf beetles or camptosomates, named for their larval habit of carrying a case of waste material. This group consists of two subfamilies of Chrysomelidae : Lamprosomatinae and Cryptocephalinae .
Charidotella sexpunctata, the golden tortoise beetle, is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. It is native to the Americas, and very broadly distributed. Charidotella sexpunctata was formerly known as Metriona bicolor. The species has also been seen in regions reaching up to Argentina.
Samarendra Nath Maulik was an Indian entomologist who worked at the Natural History Museum, London and specialized in the systematics of the leaf beetles. He worked briefly at the University of Calcutta as a professor of Zoology. A structure on the hind femur, particularly of flea beetles, and used in their leaping motion has sometimes been called as "Maulik's organ".
Agelastica alni, the alder leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae) in the genus Agelastica. Agelastica alni is distributed in Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, north-eastern Kazakhstan, and in the 19th century was introduced to the United States.
The thistle tortoise beetle is a species of beetle in the subfamily Cassidinae and the genus Cassida. The thistle tortoise beetle can be recognized by its green, rounded back and it can be found on thistle plants in many regions of North America and Europe. The thistle tortioise beetle was first discovered in 1902 in Lévis, Quebec. In 1931, Nellie F. Paterson was the first to document the mature larva. Later, the instar larva of this species was first recorded in 2004 by Jolanta Świętojańska. The thistle tortoise beetle exhibits multiple defense behaviors, such as a flexible shield, providing a barrier against the mandibles of predators, and an excretion that protects the eggs as well.
Galerucella is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae described by George Robert Crotch in 1873. It is widely distributed but absent in the Neotropics. Some species feed on waterlilies and are used as biocontrol of introduced, invasive waterlilies. Galerucella tenella feed on strawberry plants.
The fecal shield is a structure formed by the larvae of many species of beetles in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. It is composed of the frass of the insect and often its exuviae, or bits of shed exoskeleton. The beetle may carry the shield on its back or wield it upon its posterior end. The main function of the fecal shield is defense against predators. Other terms for the fecal shield noted in the literature include "larval clothing", "kotanhang", "faecal mask", "faecal pad", and "exuvio-faecal annex".
Phratora vitellinae, the brassy leaf beetle, formerly Phyllodecta vitellinae, is a beetle of the family Chrysomelidae found in Europe and Asia. It feeds on Populus and Salix species. The evolution of its host plant preferences and the mechanism by which it uses host plant chemicals to make a larval defensive secretion have been the subject of intense study by research groups in Europe and the Nordic countries.
Chrysolina coerulans, also known as the blue mint beetle or blue mint leaf beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is a member of the subgenus Synerga of the genus Chrysolina. It is native to a wide range of countries between mid and eastern Europe and lives alongside rivers and in meadows, it feeds on various plant members of the mint family.
Phratora laticollis is a species of leaf beetle found in Europe and Asia. This beetle is found on Populus species and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been studied extensively.
Brachycoryna is a genus of tortoise beetles and hispines in the family Chrysomelidae. There are seven described species in Brachycoryna.
Cazeresia is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It contains only one species, Cazeresia montana, found at 1,450 m and above on Mount Humboldt in the South Province of New Caledonia. Adults of C. montana were found on Dracophyllum involucratum, a species of plant in the family Epacridaceae. According to Jolivet et al. (2005), most probably the larvae feed on the roots of this plant. The genus is named after Sylvie Cazères, an assistant to the Pocquereux entomological group from the Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien. Sylvie Cazères collected specimens of C. montana and other species of leaf beetles.
Parasyrphus melanderi is a flower fly that is best known as a larval predator on the leaf beetle Chrysomela aeneicollis in the Sierra Nevada range of California.
Phratora tibialis is a species of leaf beetle found in Europe and parts of Asia. This beetle is found on willows and the chemistry and production of its larval defensive secretions and host plant relationships have been studied extensively.
