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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)

Family Chrysomelidae - Leaf Beetles

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Light-seeking Colaspis - Colaspis brunnea

false potato beetle - Leptinotarsa juncta

Spintherophyta arizonensis Schultz - Spintherophyta arizonensis

chrysomelidae on Viburnum alnifolium - Xanthonia decemnotata

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)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Alticinæ now Galerucinæ: Alticini

Chlamisinæ " Cryptocephalinæ: Fulcidacini

Clytrinæ " Cryptocephalinæ: Clytini

Hispinæ " part of the Cassidinæ

Explanation of Names

Chrysomelidæ Latreille 1802

Numbers

With ~35,000 described (up to 60,000 estimated) spp. in >2100 genera worldwide and ~1,900 spp. & sspp. in ~220 genera in our area, the second largest phytophagous beetle family after Curculionidæ(1)(2); 10 out of 12 subfamilies are represented in NA(3)

Overview of our faunaTaxa not yet in the guide are marked (*); taxonomy adapted from(2)

FAMILY CHRYSOMELIDAE

Subfamily Bruchinæ

Tribe Pachymerini

Subtribe Pachymerina Caryobruchus · Pachymerus

Subtribe Caryedontina Caryedon

Tribe Amblycerini

Subtribe Amblycerina Amblycerus

Subtribe Spermophagina Zabrotes

Tribe Kytorhinini Kytorhinus

Tribe Bruchini

Subtribe Bruchina Bruchus

Subtribe Megacerina Megacerus

Subtribe Acanthoscelidina *Abutiloneus · Acanthoscelides · Algarobius · Althæus · Bruchidius · Callosobruchus · *Caryedes · Gibbobruchus · Meibomeus · Megabruchidius · Merobruchus · Mimosestes · Neltumius · Penthobruchus · Sennius · Stator · Stylantheus

Subfamily Donaciinæ

Tribe Plateumarini Plateumaris · Poecilocera

Tribe Donaciini Donacia · *Donaciella

Tribe Hæmoniini Neohæmonia

Subfamily Criocerinæ

Tribe Criocerini Lilioceris · Crioceris

Tribe Lemiini Lema · Neolema · Oulema

Subfamily Cassidinæ

Tribe Imatidiniini Stenispa

Tribe Chalepini Anisostena · Sumitrosis · Odontota · Chalepus · Xenochalepus · Baliosus · Octotoma · Stenopodius · Brachycoryna · Glyphuroplata · **Platocthispa · Pentispa · Microrhopala · Heptispa

Tribe Hemisphærotini Hemisphærota

Tribe Mesomphaliini Hilarocassis · Chelymorpha

Tribe Ischyrosonychini Physonota

Tribe Cassidini Cassida · Coptocycla · Deloyala · Parorectis · Gratiana · Plagiometriona · Agroiconota · Floridocassis · Jonthonota · Opacinota · Erepsocassis · Strongylocassis · Metrionella · Charidotella · Microctenochira

Subfamily Chrysomelinæ

Tribe Timarchini Timarcha

Tribe Chrysomelini

Subtribe Entomoscelina Entomoscelis · Microtheca

Subtribe Paropsina Chrysophtharta · Gonioctena · Paropsis · Trachymela

Subtribe Doryphorina Chrysolina · Calligrapha · Leptinotarsa · Labidomera

Subtribe Chrysomelina Gastrophysa · Phædon · Prasocuris · Phratora · Chrysomela · Plagiodera

Incertæ sedis Cadiz

Subfamily Galerucinæ

Tribe Galerucini

Section Coelomerites Monocesta · Coraia · Derospidea · Trirhabda · Miraces

Section Atysites Diorhabda · Galerucella · Neogalerucella · Tricholochmæa · Pyrrhalta · Xanthogaleruca

Section Schematizites Brucita · Erynephala · Monoxia · Ophrælla · Ophræa · Neolochmæa · Yingabruxia

Section Galerucites Galeruca

Tribe Metacyclini Malacorhinus

Tribe Luperini

Subtribe Diabroticina

Section Diabroticites Diabrotica · Paranapiacaba · Amphelasma · Acalymma · Paratriarius

Section Cerotomites Neobrotica · Cyclotrypema · Cerotoma

Section Phyllecthrites Phyllecthris · Luperosoma

Section Trachyscelidites Trachyscelida

Subtribe Luperina

Section Scelidites Synetocephalus · Pseudoluperus · Keitheatus · Lygistus · Triarius · Scelida · Androlyperus · Scelolyperus

Section Phyllobroticites Phyllobrotica

Section Exosomites Pteleon

Section Monoleptites Eusattodera · Metrioidea

Tribe Alticini Blepharida · *Acrocyum · Pseudorthygia · Phydanis · Luperaltica · Lupræa · Phyllotreta · Aphthona · Cerataltica · Glyptina · Pseudodibolia · Longitarsus · Systena · Dysphenges · Glenidion · Hemiphrynus · Syphrea · Lysathia · Altica · Strabala · Orthaltica · Epitrix · Acallepitrix · Hippuriphila · Hornaltica · Margaridisa · Crepidodera · Derocrepis · Neocrepidodera · Trichaltica · Hemiglyptus · Mantura · Chætocnema · Disonycha · Agasicles · Parchicola · Monomacra · Omophoita · Asphæra · *Pachyonychis · Capraita · Walterianella · Kuschelina · Alagoasa · Distigmoptera · Pachyonychus · Pseudolampsis · Dibolia · Argopistes · Psylliodes · Nesæcrepida · Cornulactica

Subfamily Lamprosomatinæ

Tribe Lamprosomatini Oomorphus

Subfamily Cryptocephalinæ

Tribe Cryptocephalini

Subtribe Pachybrachina Griburius · Pachybrachis

Subtribe Monachulina Lexiphanes

Subtribe Cryptocephalina Cryptocephalus · Bassareus · Diachus · Triachus

Tribe Clytrini

Subtribe Clytrina Anomoea · Smaragdina

Subtribe Megalostomina Megalostomis · Coscinoptera · Coleothorpa · Coleorozena

Subtribe Babiina Babia · Urodera · Saxinis

Tribe Fulcidacini Pseudochlamys · Chlamisus · Diplacaspis · Neochlamisus · Exema

Subfamily Eumolpinæ

Tribe Typophorini

Section Metachromites Metachroma

Section Typophorites Paria · Typophorus

Section Scelodontites Graphops

Tribe Eumolpini

Section Iphimeites Spintherophyta · Metaparia · Chrysodinopsis · Brachypnoea · Euphrytus · Promecosoma · Colaspis · Percolaspis · Rhabdopterus · Tymnes · Zenocolaspis · Myochrous · Glyptoscelis

Section Eumolpites Eumolpus

Section Corynodites Chrysochus

Tribe Megascelidini Megascelis

Tribe Adoxini

Section Leprotites Xanthonia · Demotina · Neofidia · Colaspidea

Section Adoxites Bromius

Subfamily Synetinæ Syneta · Thricolema

Identification

online keys covering most of se US in (4)(5)(6)

Range

throughout the world except the antarctic and most of the high arctic(1)

Habitat

adults usually on leaves or flowers; larvæ mostly on leaves, but many are subterranean, attacking roots and underground stems(1)

Season

Most NA species probably univoltine(1)

Food

living plant material; most spp. are either monophagous or more commonly oligophagous(1)(7)

Life Cycle

most Nearctic spp. overwinter as adults; larvæ have a wide variety of life histories(1)

Remarks

some are pests of economic importance; some are used to control invasive weeds(1)

Internet References

Leaf Beetles of Texas (Quinn 2022)

Works Cited

1.	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.

2.	Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.

3.	Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta) Bouchard P, Bousquet Y, Davies A, Alonso-Zarazaga M, Lawrence JF, Lyal CH, Newton A, Reid CA, Schmitt M, Ślipiński SA, Smith A. 2011. ZooKeys 88: 1–972.

4.	Leaf and Seed Beetles of South Carolina Janet Ciegler. 2007. Clemson University.

5.	Identification guide to the Leaf Beetles of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

6.	The leaf beetles of Alabama Edward Balsbaugh and Kirby Hays. 1972. Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University.

7.	Host plants of leaf beetle species occurring in the United States and Canada Clark et al. 2004. Coleopterists Society, Special Publication no. 2, 476 pp.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, john and jane balaban, Stephen_WV, Robin McLeod, Phillip Harpootlian, Lynette Elliott, Mike Quinn, v belov, metrioptera, Arturo Santos
Last updated 22 March, 2025 - 4:15pm

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