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Species Chelymorpha cassidea - Argus Tortoise Beetle
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 Cassidinae (Tortoise Beetles and the Hispines)
Tribe Stolaini
Genus Chelymorpha
Species cassidea (Argus Tortoise Beetle)
Other Common Names Called the Milkweed Tortoise Beetle in Dillon and Dillon. (1)
This is an inappropriate common name as the sp. does not host on milkweed. (2)Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Chelymorpha geniculata Boheman is a variety of Chelymorpha cassidea (Fabricius) (3)
Chelymorpha argus was suppressed by the ICZN (3)Explanation of Names cassi, di is Latin for a helmet (4)
Called "Argus" after a mythical 100-eyed Greek monster. (5)Numbers Three spp. north of Mexico (6), (3)Identification Brick-red or yellow, transparent around edges. Six dots on pronotum and each elytron, one being on midline. Resembles a Lady Beetle.
Prominence of spots is variable:
From light  to  dark... Range Throughout U.S. and southern Canada (3)Season Summer, plus winter in deep south. May-June (Kansas), June-August (North Carolina), May-July, November, January (Alabama). Food Adults and larvae feed on various milkweeds and certain members of the nightshade and Morning Glory families. (There is some disagreement in the popular literature.)
Associated with Convolvulaceae, all other plant associations are probably incidental (2)Life Cycle Eggs laid in clusters of 15-30 on leaves. Larvae feed on leaves, carry frass on back. Pupation and overwintering occur in soil. Rea et al. (2003) (7) says it does not feed on milkweed, but on Convolvulaceae family plants--Morning Glory and bindweed, found in association with milkweed. See Also Other members of genus? (Few published illustrations--there is taxonomic confusion.) Also Lady Beetles. Print References Chittenden, F.H. 1924. The Argus Tortoise Beetle. Journal of Agricultural Research 27: 43-51.
Dillon, p. 725, plate LXXIV (1)
Milne, p. 604, fig. 215 (5)
Rea, p. 54--photos adults and larvae (7)
Salsbury, p. 238--photo (8)
Brimley, p.231--lists only C. cassidea for North Carolina. (9)
White, p. 302, fig. 132 (10)
Balsbaugh, p. 190--lists just this species for Alabama. (11)Internet References Univ. Florida--fact sheet on the introduced Chelymorpha cribraria, some information on C. cassidea.
North Carolina State Univ. Entomology--lists one species (cassidea) for that state.
C. cassidea--only species reported from Alabama Works Cited | 2. | Host Plants of Leaf Beetle Species Occuring in the United States and Canada
By Shawn M. Clark, Douglas G. LeDoux, Terry N. Seeno, Edward G. Riley, Arthur L. Gilbert, and James M. Sullivan. 2004. | |
| 8. | Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White | |
| 11. | The leaf beetles of Alabama
By Edward Balsbaugh and Kirby Hays | |
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