Other Common Names
Three-lined Potato Beetle
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
used to be treated as a color form of L. daturaphila (trilineata auct.); experiments proved the two forms do not hybridize
Explanation of Names
Lema trivittata Say 1824
trivittata = 'three-striped'
Identification
Adults very similar to L. daturaphila, may be discriminated as follows (White & Day 1979):
lateral black vitta covering 2½ intervals at most (more in daturaphila);
(following characters of +/- gradual nature)
tibiae usually yellow for more than half of their length (nearly always dark to more than 1/2 in daturaphila);
femora often dark apically (rarely so in daturaphila)
sternal pieces often broadly black (sometimes narrowly black in daturaphila)
The eggs are said to have blackish tips (those of daturaphila are dark yellow throughout)
Range
widely dist. (QC-ON), (MA-WA to FL-CA) / Mex. -
Map (1)(2), mostly ne. NA to Calif.
Food
Solanaceae, most records from potato (
Solanum tuberosum)
(3)Print References
White R.E., Day W.H. (1979) Taxonomy and biology of Lema trivittata Say, a valid species with notes on L. trilineata (Oliv.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Entomological News 90(5): 209-217.