Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Donacia

Donacia sp? - Donacia proxima Metallic beetle - Donacia texana aquatic leaf beetle - Donacia cincticornis Donaciinae - Donacia Aquatic Leaf Beetle - Donacia hirticollis Donacia (4) - Donacia cincticornis aquatic leaf beetle - Donacia Donacia fulgens - male
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 Donaciinae (Aquatic Leaf Beetles)
Genus Donacia
Pronunciation
daw-nay'-see-uh, IPA: dŏ-nā'-sĭ-ə(1)
Explanation of Names
Donacia Fabricius 1775
Greek donax (δοναξ) 'reed'(1)
Numbers
>30 spp. in 5 subgenera in our area, >80 spp. total[cite:xxxx]
Size
3‒12 mm
Identification
differences from Plateumaris(2): elytra at apex truncate in most, no expanded sutural bead; hypomeron usually with a broad pubescent area
keys to spp.: Florida(3) • w.NA(4)
Range
holarctic; in NA, more diverse in the east (only one Nearctic species does not occur there); just 12 spp. in w.NA(4); numerous spp. in Eurasia
Food
Host plants(2): Donacia s.str.: waterlilies Brasenia, Nuphar, Nymphaea; Donacia (Donaciomima): Nymphaea and a number of other plants; Donacia (Arundinarius): Phragmites
Works Cited
1.The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language
2.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.
3.The Water Beetles of Florida
Epler J.H. 2010. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tallahassee. 414 pp.
4.The subfamily Donaciinae in Utah (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Clark S.M., Olsen A.B., Goodman M.H. 2008. Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist 4: 1–37.