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Family Chrysomelidae - Leaf Beetles

Graphops simplex J. L. LeConte (green form) - Graphops simplex Spotted Cucumber Beetle - Diabrotica undecimpunctata Bean Leaf Beetle - Cerotoma trifurcata Possibly - Leaf Beetle - Tricholochmaea kalmiae - Tricholochmaea kalmiae Zygogramma signatipennis (Stål) - Zygogramma signatipennis 160313C01 - Exema Dull black alticine? - Chaetocnema Striped Beetle - Disonycha glabrata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Chrysomeloidea (Longhorn and Leaf Beetles)
Family Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Alticinae now Galerucinae: Alticini
Chlamisinae now Cryptocephalinae: Fulcidacini
Clytrinae now Cryptocephalinae: Clytini
Hispinae now part of the Cassidinae
Explanation of Names
Chrysomelidae Latreille 1802
Numbers
With ~35,000 described (up to 60,000 estimated) spp. in >2100 genera worldwide and ~1,900 spp. & sspp. in ~220 genera in our area, the second largest phytophagous beetle family after Curculionidae(1)(2); 10 out of 12 subfamilies are represented in NA(3)
Overview of our faunaTaxa not yet in the guide are marked (*); taxonomy adapted from(2)
FAMILY CHRYSOMELIDAE
Subfamily Bruchinae
   Subtribe Caryedontina Caryedon
   Subtribe Amblycerina Amblycerus
   Subtribe Spermophagina Zabrotes
Tribe Bruchini
   Subtribe Bruchina Bruchus
   Subtribe Megacerina Megacerus
Subfamily Donaciinae
Subfamily Criocerinae
Tribe Lemiini Lema · Neolema · Oulema
Subfamily Cassidinae
Subfamily Chrysomelinae
   Incertae sedis Cadiz
Subfamily Galerucinae
Tribe Galerucini
     Section Coelomerites Monocesta · Coraia · Derospidea · Trirhabda · Miraces
     Section Galerucites Galeruca
Tribe Luperini
   Subtribe Diabroticina
     Section Cerotomites Neobrotica · Cyclotrypema · Cerotoma
     Section Phyllecthrites Phyllecthris · Luperosoma
     Section Trachyscelidites Trachyscelida
   Subtribe Luperina
     Section Phyllobroticites Phyllobrotica
     Section Exosomites Pteleon
     Section Monoleptites Eusattodera · Metrioidea
Subfamily Lamprosomatinae
Subfamily Cryptocephalinae
   Subtribe Monachulina Lexiphanes
Tribe Clytrini
   Subtribe Clytrina Anomoea · Smaragdina
   Subtribe Babiina Babia · Urodera · Saxinis
Subfamily Eumolpinae
     Section Metachromites Metachroma
     Section Typophorites Paria · Typophorus
     Section Scelodontites Graphops
Tribe Eumolpini
     Section Eumolpites Eumolpus
     Section Corynodites Chrysochus
Tribe Adoxini
     Section Leprotites Xanthonia · Demotina · Neofidia · Colaspidea
     Section Adoxites Bromius
Identification
online keys covering most of se US in (4)(5)(6)
Range
throughout the world except the antarctic and most of the high arctic(1)
Habitat
adults usually on leaves or flowers; larvae mostly on leaves, but many are subterranean, attacking roots and underground stems(1)
Season
Most NA species probably univoltine(1)
Food
living plant material; most spp. are either monophagous or more commonly oligophagous(1)(7)
Life Cycle
most Nearctic spp. overwinter as adults; larvae have a wide variety of life histories(1)
Remarks
some are pests of economic importance; some are used to control invasive weeds(1)
Internet References
Works Cited
1.American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
2.Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico
Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.
3.Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta)
Bouchard P, Bousquet Y, Davies A, Alonso-Zarazaga M, Lawrence JF, Lyal CH, Newton A, Reid CA, Schmitt M, Ślipiński SA, Smith A. 2011. ZooKeys 88: 1–972.
4.Leaf and Seed Beetles of South Carolina
Janet Ciegler. 2007. Clemson University.
5.Identification guide to the Leaf Beetles of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
6.The leaf beetles of Alabama
Edward Balsbaugh and Kirby Hays. 1972. Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University.
7.Host plants of leaf beetle species occurring in the United States and Canada
Clark et al. 2004. Coleopterists Society, Special Publication no. 2, 476 pp.