Subfamily Galerucinae - Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles and Flea Beetles

Alticinae, now treated as a tribe (Alticini)(1).

Galerucinae Latreille 1802

By far the largest leaf beetle subfamily, with 13,000 to 15,000 described spp. in >1000 genera of 7 tribes worldwide and ca. 700 spp. in 90 genera of 4 tribes in our area; the flea beetles (Alticini) account for over 60% of the diversity(1)(2).

Worldwide and throughout NA

Most of the galerucines feed on dicots, however some genera may have adapted to monocots. Adults generally feed on pollen and also fresh leaves of their host plants, and the larvae feed on their roots. Many species feed on wild plants, trees and bushes, and many are polyphagous

Some are serious agricultural pests, causing damage directly by plant feeding or indirectly by transmitting viruses. Some species have been used in the biological control of weeds.

Viswajyothi K. & Clark S.M. 2022. New World genera of Galerucinae Latreille, 1802 (tribes Galerucini Latreille, 1802, Metacyclini Chapuis, 1875, and Luperini Gistel, 1848): an annotated list and identification key (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 842: 1–102. (3)

Lingafelter S.W., Konstantinov A.S. (2000) The monophyly and relative rank of alticine and galerucine leaf beetles: a cladistic analysis using adult morphological characters. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Entomol. Scand. 30: 397–416.