Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Altica torquata - Steel-blue Grapevine Flea Beetle

abundant small beetle - Altica torquata Nevada Beetles Under a Rock - Altica torquata Chrysomelidae - Altica torquata Chrysomelidae - Altica torquata Altica - Altica torquata Steel-blue Grapevine Flea Beetle? - Altica torquata Altica torquata? - Altica torquata Flea Beetle: Altica? - Altica torquata
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 (Altica Genus Group)
Genus Altica
Species torquata (Steel-blue Grapevine Flea Beetle)
Explanation of Names
Altica torquata J.L. LeConte 1858
torquata (L). 'collared' (1)
Identification
usually polychrome - elytral margins, and pronotum behind transverse furrow (name!)
coloured in a different tone than elytral disc.

Monochrome individuals identified by dissection only.
Range
sw US (CA to w. TX, KS, UT / Mex. - Map (2)(3)
Life Cycle
asso. w/ Oenothera spp. (4)
Remarks
vernacular misleading - has nothing to do with vines.
Print References
LeConte J.L. 1858. Catalogue of Coleoptera of the regions adjacent to the boundary line between the United States and Mexico. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (Series 2) 4: 9-42.
Internet References
Lectotype - MCZ, Harvard
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)
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.