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

Species Physonota helianthi - Sunflower Tortoise Beetle

tortoise beetle larvae - Physonota helianthi Another Leaf Beetle - Physonota helianthi Larva Cluster - Physonota helianthi Sunflower Tortoise Beetle larva - Physonota helianthi Cassidinae, head goop - Physonota helianthi Cassidinae, ventral - Physonota helianthi psysonata helianthus laying her eggs & protecting them with beetle larvae - Physonota helianthi
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 Cassidinae (Tortoise Beetles and the Hispines)
Tribe Ischyrosonychini
Genus Physonota
Species helianthi (Sunflower Tortoise Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Physonota helianthi (Randall)
Orig. Comb: Cassida helianthi Randall, 1838
Explanation of Names
Helianthus - Latin for 'sunflower' (1)
Size
Length 10.0-10.5 mm. Width 4.9-5.0 mm.
Identification
Oval. Shining pale yellow.
Pronotum with margin explanate, covering head from above; having 3 black spots, median more elongate.
Elytra with explanate margins; finely to moderately coarsely, mostly irregularly punctate.
Range
occurs in the the northeastern U.S.
Food
hosts on members of the aster family, Asteraceae.
See Also
Physonota unipunctata is similar.
Works Cited
1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.