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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Longhorn and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea) » Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae) » Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles and Flea Beetles (Galerucinae) » Flea Beetles (Alticini) » Disonycha Genus Group » Agasicles » Alligatorweed Flea Beetle (Agasicles hygrophila)

Species Agasicles hygrophila - Alligatorweed Flea Beetle

Flea beetle - Agasicles hygrophila Alligatorweed Flea Beetle - Agasicles hygrophila Agasicles adult - Agasicles hygrophila Feeding on Alligator Weed - Agasicles hygrophila unkn beetle - Agasicles hygrophila two-tone Chrysomelid - Agasicles hygrophila St. Andrews leaf beetle on Alternanthera philoxeroides 2022 3 - Agasicles hygrophila St. Andrews leaf beetle on Alternanthera philoxeroides 2022 5 - Agasicles hygrophila
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 Agasicles
Species hygrophila (Alligatorweed Flea Beetle)
Explanation of Names
Agasicles hygrophila Selman & Vogt 1971
hygrophila = 'water-loving'
Size
5-7 mm(1)
Range
established in se US (e.TX-FL-NC) - Map (2)(3), (also introduced into CA but failed to establish(4))
Native to so. Brazil & n. Argentina (1)
Habitat
Found in wet places near its host plant
Season
In se. US, mostly Mar-Dec with two population peaks (spring and fall)(1)(3)
Food
Only known host: the invasive alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Amaranthaceae)
Life Cycle
Adults lay eggs on the underside of host leaves; larvae feed on the leaves, then pupate inside the hollow stems. Can complete cycle in less than a month.(1)
Remarks
extremely effective as biocontrol agent in coastal se. US(1)
first released in the US: 1964, CA & SC; later, in several other states (TN-NC-FL-TX) (Buckingham, 2002)
Internet References
Featured Creatures(1)
Works Cited
1.University of Florida: Featured Creatures
2.Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico
Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.
3.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
4.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.
Contributed by Chuck Entz on 3 May, 2007 - 10:58pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 24 March, 2024 - 12:11pm

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