Phyllocharis undulata

Phyllocharis undulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Chrysomelidae
Genus:	Phyllocharis
Species:	P. undulata
Binomial name
Phyllocharis undulata (Linnaeus, 1763)
Synonyms   [1]
Chrysomela undulataLinnaeus, 1763

Phyllocharis undulata is a species of leaf beetle, native to Southeast Asia. It is found in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Lombok and Timor. ^[1]

Description

Phyllocharis undulata feeds on various species of Clerodendrum (Verbenaceae), including Clerodendrum inerme , ^[1] Clerodendrum chinense ^[2] and Clerodendrum calamitosum. ^[3]

Pest control

It has been considered as a biological control agent against Clerodendrum chinense, which has become a serious noxious weed and invasive species on some Pacific Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, including Samoa, Niue, and Fiji. ^[2]

See also

• Beneficial insects

References

1. Mohamad S. Mohamedsaid (2009). "Chrysomelidae of the Lesser Sunda Islands: Wallace's Line and the crossing of worlds". In Pierre Jolivet; Jorge Santiago-Blay; Michael Schmitt (eds.). Research of Chrysomelidae, Volume 2. Brill. pp. 57–104. ISBN   978-90-04-16947-0.
2. D. F. Waterhouse (1993). "Clerodendrum chinense (Osbeck) Mabberley (formerly C. philippinum). Honolulu rose". Biological Control: Pacific Prospects - Supplement 2 (PDF). Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. pp. 73–94. ISBN   1-86320-076-2.
3. S. J. van Ooststroom (1947). "Over de variabiliteit van Phyllocharis undulata (L.) (Col., Chrysom.)" [On the variability of Phyllocharis undulata (L.) (Col., Chrysom.)]. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie (in Dutch). 88: 543–546.