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BeetlesTortoise Beetles on Tomato Seedlings
Hi!
Found these buggers on our tomato seedlings this morning, munching away. We ordered the plants from California. I’ve never seen them here in New York in all my 40 years of tomato gardening. Are they native to CA? Did I do a bad thing by ordering plants from there and potentially contaminating the east coast? Thanks for your help 
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Cheers!
Claudia Dunitz
Hi Claudia,
There are two subspecies of the Clavate Tortoise Beetle, Plagiometriona clavata clavata and Plagiometriona clavata testudinaria. According to their ranges are BugGuide: “Plagiometriona c. clavata: Great Plains states east, plus se Canada (NB QC ON) Plagiometriona clavata testudinaria: AZ to LA, south to South America.” and “in H. c. clavata, the “legs” and “head” of the “bear” are as dark as its “body”, whereas in H. c. testudinaria, these extremities seem slightly paler than the “body” but I’m not sure whether this is a reliable difference.” If that distinction is reliable, you have the western subspecies and it can probably cross with the eastern subspecies, which will only confuse future taxonomists.
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