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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) » Chrysomelinae » Chrysomelini » Chrysomelina » Gastrophysa » Green Dock Beetle (Gastrophysa cyanea)
Photo#41134
leaf beetle - Gastrophysa cyanea
Copyright © 2006 Joyce Gross

leaf beetle - Gastrophysa cyanea
Black Diamond Mines Regional Park, Antioch, Contra Costa County, California, USA
April 17, 2005
Size: 5mm

Images of this individual: tag all
leaf beetle - Gastrophysa cyanea leaf beetle - Gastrophysa cyanea
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Contributed by Joyce Gross on 17 January, 2006 - 3:21am
Last updated 11 August, 2006 - 5:37pm

move back to Chrysomelidae?
Ron pointed out under the other image that this seems to be the wrong color for Chrysochus cobaltinus -- does anyone know if this species comes in green, not just cobalt? I think this might be safer back under Chrysomelidae, unless someone is really sure this is Chrysochus cobaltinus. I'm not sure how it got filed under C. cobaltinus.

One other note -- I've seen a lot of these beetles in the Bay Area and they have always been green. Haven't seen a cobalt one yet...
… Joyce Gross, 10 August, 2006 - 12:18am login or register to post comments

 
I've done some more digging - everything points to blue.
Cobaltinus is often called "blue milkweed beetle". I suspect - stressing suspect - the green is a dogbane beetle. Several I've seen on the web appear - stressing appear - to be all green. (I do realize they're supposed to be red and green.)

Info on Mike's page seems to bear me out. Link is:


http://www.texasento.net/cobaltinus.htm

Once there, check links refered to as:
Merrill Peterson
LeConte

The Wild link no longer works, and I couldn't find the image where redirected.

There may be some subspecies thing going on here - I'm no expert - but blue is blue, right?
… Ron Hemberger, 11 August, 2006 - 5:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Gastrophysa cyanea
Ron, see Mike's comment below (edited today?) -- and now the photos are under Gastrophysa cyanea. This looks right to me now. Thanks Mike, Ron, and Beatriz for getting the ID of this beetle straightened out.
… Joyce Gross, 12 August, 2006 - 12:41am login or register to post comments

 
You're welcome.
Glad it all worked out. Boy, this stuff can be tough!
… Ron Hemberger, 12 August, 2006 - 2:31pm login or register to post comments

Dogbane Beetle?
To me it looks superfically like the dogbane beetle....though someone else will most likely corect me.
… Andy Varsho, 17 January, 2006 - 6:33am login or register to post comments

 
Not dogbane
The antennae and iridescence are all wrong. It looks more like the leaf beetles here
… Beatriz Moisset, 17 January, 2006 - 9:29am login or register to post comments

 
Gastrophysa cyanea
Sorry to have screwed this up... I checked with Ed Riley who informed me that this is: Gastrophysa cyanea Melsheimer Gastrophysa differs from Chrysochus in the following ways:
  • antennae are more bead-like (moniliform)
  • the head is not hidden when viewed from above
  • the pronotum is significanly wider than it is long
  • coarser punctation
  • Gastrophysa cyanea (Green Dock Beetle)
  • Chrysochus auratus (Dogbane Beetle)
  • Chrysochus cobaltinus (Cobalt Milkweed Beetle)
… Mike Quinn, 22 January, 2006 - 9:20pm login or register to post comments

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