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.
Acalymma vittatum, the striped cucumber beetle, is a beetle of the family Chrysomelidae and a serious pest of cucurbit crops in both larval and adult stages. The striped cucumber beetle has a distinctive appearance, displaying a yellow-colored elytra with black stripes. It is distributed from eastern North America to the Rocky Mountains and can be found as far south as Mexico and as far North as southern Canada. In western North America, past the Rocky Mountains, the striped cucumber beetle is replaced by Acalymma trivittatum, a duller colored species often with grayish or pale white elytra rather than yellow.
The cereal leaf beetle is a significant crop pest, described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Pyrochroa coccinea, commonly known as the black-headed cardinal beetle, is a species of cardinal beetle in the family Pyrochoidae. It is found mainly in wooded areas and pastures throughout central Europe, including southern Great Britain. Similar to other species of Ambrosia beetles, P. coccinea live and reproduce on wooden logs in early stages of decomposition. Larvae develop over the span of many years, with overlapping generations often inhabiting a single wooden territory. Adults, however, are short-lived and exist during a brief season. They typically show up in April, become more populous in May and early June, and become very rare in the remaining months.
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.
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.
Xanthogaleruca luteola, commonly known as the elm-leaf beetle, is a beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae that is native to Europe but invasive in other parts of the world.
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.
Lilioceris merdigera is a species of beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Criocerinae.
Tetrastichus planipennisi is a parasitic non-stinging wasp of the family Eulophidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer, an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in its introduced range in North America. As part of the campaign against the emerald ash borer (EAB), American scientists in conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Forestry searched since 2003 for its natural enemies in the wild leading to the discovery of several parasitoid wasps, including Tetrastichus planipennisi which is a gregarious endoparasitoid of EAB larvae on Manchurian Ash and has been recorded to attack and kill up to 50 percent of EAB larvae.
Spathius agrili is a parasitic non-stinging wasp of family Braconidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer, an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in its introduced range in North America. As part of the campaign against the emerald ash borer (EAB), American scientists in conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Forestry began searching in 2003 for its natural enemies in the wild, leading to the discovery of several parasitoid wasp species, including Spathius agrili. S. agrili was discovered in Tianjin, China where it is a prevalent parasitoid of EAB larvae in stands of an introduced ash species, and an endemic ash species. S. agrili has been recorded to attack and kill up to 90 percent of EAB larvae.
Chrysolina herbacea, also known as the mint leaf beetle, or green mint beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae.
Lilioceris is a genus of beetles in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. The genus was first scientifically described in 1912 by Edmund Reitter. Lilioceris belongs to the subfamily Criocerinae and tribe Criocerini.
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.
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.
Naomi Cappuccino is an associate professor of biology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Her research primarily focuses on population ecology and biological control of invasive species.
Dicladispa armigera is a species of leaf beetle from Southeast Asia, often known by its common name: the "rice hispa". These beetles are a well known invasive pest, and are responsible for significant crop damage across many countries. The male to female ratio is between 1:1.26 and 1:1.46.
Lemophagus pulcher is a species of insect in the family Ichneumonidae.
