Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Species Disonycha glabrata - Pigweed Flea Beetle

Pigweed Flea Beetle - Disonycha glabrata Bodacious beetle in my salad - Disonycha glabrata Beetle ID Request - Disonycha glabrata White-striped beetle - Disonycha glabrata Amaranth Flea Beetle - Disonycha glabrata Pigweed Flea Beetle? - Disonycha glabrata Pigweed Flea Beetle - Disonycha glabrata Disonycha glabrata? - 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)
Subfamily Galerucinae (Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles and Flea Beetles)
Tribe Alticini (Flea Beetles)
No Taxon (Disonycha Genus Group)
Genus Disonycha
Species glabrata (Pigweed Flea Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Disonycha glabrata (Fabricius)
Orig. Comb: Crioceris tomentosa Fabricius 1775
not to be confused with another species whose synonym is Disonycha glabrata [described by Jacoby in 1884], and is now known as Disonycha arizonae - see "See Also" section below
Explanation of Names
tomentosa (L). 'dense hair, stuffing' (1)
Size
5.4-6.5 mm length,
2.8-3.4 mm width (2)
Identification
Elongate. Head yellow and black. Pronotum yellowish with a single spot in the middle, or sometimes three spots.
Elytra yellowish with three wide black stripes on each elytron, with the marginal edge black -- an important character (2).
Only the western species Disonycha maritima also has the elytral edge black.


Dets. E.G. Riley, 2009, M.A. Quinn, 2013
Range
e and s US (NY-IL-FL/AZ/NV) / Mex. to S. Amer. (3) One BugGuide record from ND somewhat isolated (but correct);
CA records likely referred to Disonycha maritima
Season
Mostly: May-Sept (BG data)
Food
Pigweed - Amaranthus spp. (Amaranthaceae) (4)
See Also
Disonycha arizonae (described by Casey in 1884, and whose synonym is Disonycha glabrata) has a mostly yellow head, a pronotum with two black spots, and occurs in the midwest from Alabama and Arizona to Manitoba and Ontario [see description and Canadian distribution; PDF doc]
Print References
Balsbaugh, Leaf Beetles of Alabama (2)
Brimley, p. 228 (5)
Internet References
Texas Entomology - Mike Quinn, 2012
Works Cited
1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
2.The leaf beetles of Alabama
Edward Balsbaugh and Kirby Hays. 1972. Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University.
3.Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico
Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.
4.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.
5.Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.