| Sagrinae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sagra buqueti | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Sagrinae Leach, 1815 |
| Tribes [1] | |
Sagrinae, also known as frog-legged beetles or kangaroo beetles, are a subfamily of the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae).
Beetles in this subfamily feature distinctive enlarged hindlegs, giving them their common names. While both males and females display enlarged hindlegs, the males' legs are significantly larger, a form of sexual dimorphism. Male beetles additionally have a large spine on the ventral sides of their hindlegs, used for grasping and removing rival males during competitions for access to females. [2]
Other identifying features include deep sutural stria, a prognathous head without a median sulcus and with cruciform grooves, a narrow pronotum, and commonly deeply indented eyes. They also have functional wings that aren't used often.
Most beetles of the subfamily display bright colors, and some can grow to be 1 to 2 inches in length. [3]
This subfamily is found in Asia and has been observed in Malaysia, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines. It prefers dense tropical jungles for its habitat. [3] There is fossil evidence that suggests these beetles lived in North America and Europe during the Eocene. [4]
There is not much known about reproduction and development in this subfamily. However, species in this subfamily often sport large cocoons in the post-larval stage which are commonly found on vining plants.
The cocoons represent a symbiotic relationship with a type of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae because the bacteria play a role in the construction of the cocoons. This bacterium also functions as an intracellular symbiont with this subfamily of beetle, and lives in four large blind sacs at the larval foregut. The bacteria provide much needed nutrients throughout the beetle's life cycle. [5]
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