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Species Lema daturaphila - Three-lined Potato Beetle

Three-lined potato beetle mating pair - Lema daturaphila - male - female Beetle - Lema daturaphila Lema daturaphila Unknown beetle - Lema daturaphila Unknown Larva - Lema daturaphila Lema daturaphila larvae - Lema daturaphila Lema? - Lema daturaphila - male - female
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)
Subfamily Criocerinae
Tribe Lemini
Genus Lema
No Taxon (striped species)
Species daturaphila (Three-lined Potato Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Lema trilineata (Olivier), Lema trilinea White
________________
"Years ago, this species was known as Lema trilineata (Olivier). However, this name is a junior primary homonym of another species and can therefore not be used. Richard White recognized this nomenclatural problem. He also recognized that two synonyms of Lema trilineata were also junior homonyms and could not be used. Accordingly, he proposed the name Lema trilinea as a replacement name for Lema trilineata. However, he did not recognize that Lema daturaphila Kogan & Goeden was a synonym without any problems with homonymy. Lema daturaphila has priority over Lema trilinea and is the name that should be used.
"In my mind, there are a lot of questions still unanswered regarding the identification of L. daturaphila and similar species (L. trivittata Say, L. pubipes Clark, etc.). The species are largely separated by color pattern. However, the patterns vary dramatically, from specimens that are mostly black to specimens that are mostly yellow. Richard White, who wrote the North American revision of Lema and related genera, was probably right in recognizing several species. However, attempting to identify specimens with intermediate or unusual color patterns can be frustrating." --S.M. Clark, pers. comm. to =v=, 24.i.2014
Explanation of Names
Lema daturaphila Kogan & Goeden 1970
daturaphila 'Datura-loving' (after a food plant)
Size
6-7.5 mm
Range
transcontinental, Canada to Mexico(1)
Food
hosts: Solanaceae
Works Cited
1.Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico
Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.