Species Agasicles hygrophila - Alligatorweed Flea Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks

Alligatorweed Flea Beetle - Agasicles hygrophila

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Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Chrysomeloidea (Long-horned and Leaf Beetles)

Family Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles)

Subfamily Galerucinae (Skeletonizing leaf beetles)

Tribe Alticini (Flea Beetles)

Genus Agasicles

Species hygrophila (Alligatorweed Flea Beetle)

Explanation of Names

From Greek hygros (‘υγρος)- "moisture" + philos (φιλος)- "loving, liking" with a feminine ending

Habitat

Found in wet places near its host plant

Food

Feeds on Alligatorweed, Alternanthera philoxeroides

Life Cycle

Adults lay eggs on the underside of Alligatorweed leaves. The larvae feed on the leaves, then pupate inside the hollow stems, finally emerging as adults. This entire cycle can take less than a month.

Remarks

This South American beetle was introduced to control Alligatorweed, which had become so abundant it was clogging waterways.

Contributed by Chuck Entz on 3 May, 2007 - 10:58pm

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