Species Microrhopala vittata - Goldenrod Leaf Miner

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Goldenrod Leaf Miner - Microrhopala vittata

Sign of Goldenrod Leaf Miners on Cup Plant - Microrhopala vittata

Goldenrod Leaf Miner - Microrhopala vittata - male - female

Microrhopala vittata I think ? - Microrhopala vittata

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 Chalepini

Genus Microrhopala

Species vittata (Goldenrod Leaf Miner)

Explanation of Names

Microrhopala vittata (Fabricius 1798)

vittata 'striped'

Identification

The dull reddish stripes on the elytra, the 8-segmented antennae and the smooth (not serrate/toothed) elytral margins distinguish this species(1)

Fairly variable in coloration: specimens from different host plants having different color patterns which has led to a number of synonyms (Comment by Dr. Staines)

Range

transcontinental (BC-NB to CA-GA)(2)(3)

Food

Goldenrod (Solidago, Asteraceae)(4)

Remarks

adults often found crawling among the leaves of goldenrod bunch galls made by Rhopalomyia solidaginis

Internet References

Fact Sheet (Riley 2006)

Works Cited

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

2.	Annotated list of the leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Kentucky: Subfamily Cassidinae Barney R.J., Clark S.M., Riley E.G. 2007. J. Kentucky Acad. Sci. 68: 132-144.

3.	Checklist of beetles (Coleoptera) of Canada and Alaska. Second edition Bousquet Y., Bouchard P., Davies A.E., Sikes D.S. 2013. ZooKeys 360: 1–402.

4.	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 Mike Quinn on 10 January, 2006 - 5:29pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Matthew Roth, Chuck Entz, v belov
Last updated 7 August, 2021 - 12:57pm

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