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Species Disonycha discoidea - Passionflower Flea Beetle

Passionflower Flea Beetle - Disonycha discoidea Disonycha leptolineata? - Disonycha discoidea - female Disonycha leptolineata? - Disonycha discoidea - female Disonycha leptolineata? - Disonycha discoidea Red and black flea beetle - Disonycha discoidea Disonycha? - Disonycha discoidea flea beetle? - Disonycha discoidea Passionflower flea leaf beetle ((Disonycha discoidea)? - Disonycha discoidea
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 Galerucinae (Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles and Flea Beetles)
Tribe Alticini (Flea Beetles)
No Taxon (Disonycha Genus Group)
Genus Disonycha
Species discoidea (Passionflower Flea Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Disonycha discoidea (Fabricius)
Orig. Comb: Galleruca discoidea Fabricius 1792
Explanation of Names
discoidea (G). 'disk-shaped' diskos. This perhaps refers to the rounded spot on the dorsal surface.
Size
7-9 mm
Identification
Fairly large, elytra orange-red with large, common black spot (1)(2), or with suture and discal black stripe (var.abbreviata)
Larvae and adults freq. found on Passionflower (Passiflora).
,, discoidea abbreviata
Range
se US to CO (TX-FL-RI-CO) - Map (3)(4)
Habitat
Fields, gardens, etc. with host plant
Season
Mostly: May-July (Apr-Sept) (BG data)
Food
Feeds on Passiflora spp, including Maypop, Passiflora incarnata and Yellow Passionflower, Passiflora lutea (5)
Remarks
Second similar, probably undescribed, species reported by Riley et al. (2004) to feed on Euonymus atropurpureus (Celastraceae), but rejected Passiflora in captive feeding tests. (On the other hand, P. lutea feeding sp. refused to eat E. atropurpureus.) (5)
E. atropurpureus feeding species has more extensive black (5), such as in this individual:
See Also
Capraita thyamoides (Crotch)
- Range: e. US
Det. MJ Hatfield, 2013
Print References
Balsbaugh, pp. 143-144, describes, lists host plants. (1)
Brimley, p. 228, notes from Piedmont, Sandhills, Mountains, in North Carolina (6)
Works Cited
1.The leaf beetles of Alabama
Edward Balsbaugh and Kirby Hays. 1972. Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University.
2.Identification guide to the Leaf Beetles of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
3.Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico
Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.
4.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
5.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.
6.Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.