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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) » Ischyrosonychini » Physonota » Wild Olive Tortoise Beetle (Physonota alutacea)

Species Physonota alutacea - Wild Olive Tortoise Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Wild Olive Tortoise Beetle? - Physonota alutacea

Physonota alutacea Boheman - Physonota alutacea

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 alutacea (Wild Olive Tortoise Beetle)

Explanation of Names

Physonota alutacea Boheman 1854

aluta (L). 'leather' (1)

Numbers

5 spp. n. of Mex. (2)

Size

adults 13 mm

Identification

undisturbed adults are silvery:

disturbed adults:

Larvae, like others of this genus, are bizarre:

Range

Corpus Christi to S. Amer. - Map (3)

Season

Apr-Nov (BG data)

Food

host: Wild Olive - Cordia boissieri (Boraginaceae), a native small tree, frequently cultivated, variously known as Wild Olive, Mexican Olive, or Anacahuita. (Note, true olives are in the Oleaceae family.)

Life Cycle

Larvae gregarious in early stages. Closely associated with hostplant--see above.

Print References

Boheman, C.H., 1854. Monographia Cassididarum. Tomus secundus. Holmiae, 506 pp.

Sanderson, M.W. 1948. Larval, pupal, and adult stages of North American Physonota (Chrysomelidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer., 41: 468-477.

Williams, J.R. 1950. The introduction of Physonota alutacea Boheman (Col., Cassid.) into Mauritius. Bull. Entomol. Res. 40: 479–480.

Internet References

Texas Entomology - Mike Quinn, 2009

Works Cited

1.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.

2.	Catalog of Leaf Beetles of America North of Mexico Ed Riley, Shawn Clark, and Terry Seeno. 2003. Coleopterists Society.

3.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 30 October, 2004 - 1:08pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, tom murray, Mike Quinn
Last updated 15 June, 2021 - 11:37am

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