Genus Diabrotica - Cucumber Beetles

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Remarks · Works Cited

Diabrotica undecimpunctata ? - Diabrotica undecimpunctata

Golden Rod Beetle - Diabrotica undecimpunctata

Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi? - Diabrotica undecimpunctata

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 Galerucinae (Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles and Flea Beetles)

Tribe Luperini

Subtribe Diabroticina

No Taxon (Section Diabroticites)

Genus Diabrotica (Cucumber Beetles)

Other Common Names

Cucumber Beetles, Corn Rootworms

Explanation of Names

Diabrotica Chevrolat 1837

Numbers

8 spp. in our area, >350 worldwide(1), 107 in North and Central America(2)

Identification

Despite their bright colors and distinct patterns, species are notoriously difficult to identify(2)

key to spp. in(3)

antennomere 3 ≤1.5× as long as antennomere 2 (in Acalymma, at least 2× as long as antennomere 2), fide Ciegler(4) per Arthur Evans pers.comm.

Range

New World (mostly neotropical), incl. most of NA(1)

Remarks

most abundant and destructive in the south; usually not a problem on sandy soil

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.	New species of Diabrotica Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) and a key to Diabrotica and related genera... Derunkov, A., Prado L., Tishechkin A., Konstantinov A. 2015. J. Insect Biodiversity 3: 1-55.

3.	Derunkov et al. (2013) Diabrotica ID: Identification of Diabrotica species (Col.: Chrysomelidae) from North and Central America

4.	Leaf and Seed Beetles of South Carolina Janet Ciegler. 2007. Clemson University.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, Boris Bueche, v belov, Marci Hess, PaleoJon
Last updated 22 January, 2024 - 7:36pm

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