Other Common Names
Mexican Olive Tortoise Beetle, Anacahuita Tortoise Beetle, etc., could be used, based on other names for the host plant.
Identification
A boldly-marked Physonota, normally identified by association with its host plant. Larvae, like others of this genus, bizarre, resemble, perhaps, marine arthropods.
Range
Rio Grande Valley of Texas, south to Columbia.
Food
In Texas:
Cordia boissieri (Boraginaceae) a native shrub or small tree, frequently cultivated, variously known as Wild Olive, Mexican Olive, Texas Olive, or Anacahuita. See
Texas Native Plants Database.
Life Cycle
Larvae gregarious in early stages. Closely associated with hostplant--see above.
Remarks
Five species of Physonota occur in the United States, but only Physonota alutacea occurs in Texas.
