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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) » Tortoise Beetles and the Hispines (Cassidinae) » Tortoise Beetles (Cassidini) » Gratiana

Genus Gratiana

Gratiana boliviana ZE.45408_Gratiana? - Gratiana pallidula - female Gratiana pallidula Eggplant Tortoise Beetle - Gratiana pallidula Eggplant tortoise on Horse Nettle - Gratiana pallidula Gratiana pallidula pupa - dorsal - Gratiana pallidula pupating Gratiana pallidula, fecal shield has been dropped; caudal furca remains - Gratiana pallidula Cassida rubiginosa? - Gratiana pallidula
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 Cassidini (Tortoise Beetles)
Genus Gratiana
Explanation of Names
Gratiana Spaeth 1913
Numbers
2 spp. (incl. one recently introduced) in our area, 7 spp. total(1)
Identification
Adult of G. pallidula: carapace in live individuals mostly light green anteriorly (on pronotum), and mostly light golden brown posteriorly (on elytra), with explanate, transparent margins; color of dead specimens mostly medium brown with lighter brownish-yellow margins; body oblong; elytral margins almost parallel-sided for more than half of their length; elytral disc with many small surface pits arranged in several longitudinal rows
Larva of G. pallidula: may be at least partly green, and carry a fecal shield above its back
Range
so. US to Argentina & Bolivia(1)
Food
on Solanum (Solanaceae)(1)
Remarks
G. boliviana was imported to control Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum) in FL (Medal et al.)(2)
Works Cited
1.Cassidinae of the world - an interactive manual (by Lech Borowiec and Jolanta Świętojańska)
2.EDIS -- Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 8 January, 2006 - 10:56am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, v belov
Last updated 26 April, 2012 - 4:27am

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