Leaf Beetles Archives - What's That Bug?

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Shiny Flea Beetle

On May 15, 2013 · Category: Flea Beetles · 1 Comment

Subject: It’s blue – Trevor’s FAVORITE color
Location: Moore, OK
May 14, 2013 3:36 pm
It’s been about a year since our last submission (a Sumac Flea Beetle June 2012)! On Mother’s Day (May 12) my son found another really cool beetle that we would like to know what it is. Despite being a little guy, it stood out like a sore thumb on the beige ceiling of our back covered porch. Hopefully the picture is sufficient, fingers crossed. We had a really tough time getting the lighting just right to show off the truly bright blue metallic color of its carapace (in the pictures it appears dark but in real life it is lighter and bright). However, you can definitely see the distinct details of its orange head, antennae (not orange but ”segmented”), and its legs are the same bright orange as well.
Hope you can satisfy my 5 year old aspiring entomologist son’s curiosity (I’m pretty anxious too because it is such a beautiful little guy!)
Signature: Trevor’s mom

Shiny Flea Beetle

Dear Trevor’s Mom,
We are happy to hear Trevor’s interest in entomology hasn’t waned. This is another Flea Beetle in the tribe Alticini. It sure looks to us like the Shiny Flea Beetle, Asphaera lustrans, a species that is found in Oklahoma according to BugGuide.

Yay!! That’s it!! Trevor is sooooo excited! I guess our creek in our backyard has all the right food sources for our various little “Leaf Beetle” friends Thank you so much for your help. My little entomologist cannot wait to send you his next exciting, but tougher to identify, live discovery.
I also have attached a few other pictures you and your staff might enjoy. One is of Trevor’s collection that my mom (his Grandma), “Ma-su,” have put together from specimens they’ve gathered…pretty impressive for a 4-5year old kiddo! He also has a pet jumping spider of which we have some fun pictures which I have attached, including his picture with a blow up spider at our local museum’s (Sam Noble Museum in Norman, OK) Bug Exhibit! We also did an ant farm; soon we will order ladybug larvae for his Ladybug Land so we can watch their metamorphosis. Disclaimer: no bugs in the collection picture were harmed intentionally…all were discovered either in the swimming pool skimmer and/or after they had already gone to bug heaven before we found them!
Thanks again,
Trevor’s mom

Trevor’s Insect Collection

Wow, your swimming pool is a magnet for insects, including Caterpillar Hunters, Wheel Bugs, Grasshoppers, Scarabs, Cicadas, a Cottonwood Longhorn Borer, an Io Moth and a Painted Lady. Trevor looks rapt with his ant farm.

Ant Farm has Trevor’s attention.

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Gold Bug is Tortoise Beetle

On May 12, 2013 · Category: Tortoise Beetles · 5 Comments

Subject: Can you help me?
Location: Pennsylvania , USA
May 11, 2013 2:30 pm
I found this bug on my door outside and I never seen a gold bug before. Can you tell me what type it is?
Signature: Tom R.

Tortoise Beetle

Hi Tom,
This beautiful insect that looks like a drop of gold paint is a Golden Tortoise Beetle, Charidotella sexpunctata, and it feeds on the leaves of morning glories and other plants in the family Convolvulaceae. Golden Tortoise Beetles are capable of changing colors, and much to the dismay of insect collectors, they lose their lovely golden color after death. See Bugguide for additional information on the Golden Tortoise Beetle.

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Rosemary Leaf Beetle from UK

On May 6, 2013 · Category: Leaf Beetles · 1 Comment

Subject: Beautiful Beetle!
Location: Sidcup, Kent – England (UK)
May 6, 2013 3:54 pm
Hi,
I’ve lived in South East London since a child and never seen one of these before. I saw two this afternoon on a Rosemary bush and Pineapple Broom at the end of our garden. We have an area of unmanaged scrub at the end of the garden where there are a number of fallen /rotting trees, so we usually see quite a few beetles. But these are new to me and I can’t find any pictures on line to identify them by.
Can you help, Bugman?
I have more photo’s at other angles if you want them.
Kind regards,
Signature: Alun Harrison

Rosemary Leaf Beetle

Dear Alun,
Because we haven’t received a new photo of this species in several years, we couldn’t recall the name of this Rosemary Leaf Beetle. At first we had trouble finding the identity when we searched the scientific family name Chrysomelidae, but once we switched to the common name Leaf Beetle, we quickly found this Rosemary Leaf Beetle identified on FlickR. A You Tube video indicates the Rosemary Leaf Beetle successfully invaded the UK in 2002 though it was most likely introduced prior to that. The Rosemary Leaf Beetle, Chrysolina americana, is native to the Mediterranean region, but the cultivation of its food plants like rosemary and sage has allowed it to expand its range.

Wow! That was amazingly quick. Thank you for that info, Daniel. I will follow the advice for hand removal since we do use the herbs for culinary purposes, but feel terrible about harming such beautiful creatures.
I will look at perhaps providing more ‘sacrificial’ lavender for them until I read up on their potential “pest” status.
My very best regards & thank you for your response.
Best wishes,
Alun Harrison

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Tortoise Beetle and Stink Bug Nymphs from Costa Rica

On May 3, 2013 · Category: Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs, Tortoise Beetles · Add Comment

Subject: Metallic Green Bug
Location: Northern Costa Rica
May 2, 2013 1:58 pm
I encountered these insects on the edge of the forest in Northern Costa Rica. At first I thought they were some sort of beetle, but I found the same plants also had what seem to be nymphs of the same species. Searching for some ID for them online I came up empty. My guess is some sort of shield bug.
Signature: Siggy

Tortoise Beetle: Omocerus casta

Dear Siggy,
You have two distinct insect orders represented in your request, and at least two, and possibly three different species. The “metallic green bug” is actually a Tortoise Beetle, and we believe it is in the genus Omocerus based on an image we located on The Befuddled Loris (scroll down) and verified on the Coleoptera of Costa Rica where it is identified as Omocerus casta. This same beetle can also be found on the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Discover Life.

Stink Bug Nymph

The other two creatures are Hemipteran nymphs and we believe they are different species. They are most likely Stink Bugs in the family Pentatomidae.

Stink Bug Nymph

Daniel,
Well that clarifies things a bit. I found several of each kind of the insects I sent images of in the same small area, so I thought they must be of the same species. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

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Flea Beetles

On April 29, 2013 · Category: Flea Beetles · 1 Comment

Subject: Flea Beetles Eating Up Texas Primrose?
Location: Coryell County, central Texas
April 28, 2013 11:04 pm
Are these Flea Beetles, perhaps even Altica litigata, eating the Texas primrose? Bug Guide lists primrose as a food for the A. litigata, but I’m not sure if that’s what these insects are. They look like miniature Egyptian scarabs to me. I’ve included a photo of a healthy Texas primrose as contrast to the eaten ones. Warm, sunny weather today, 80 degrees. Thank you so much.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/492289
(Last entry for awhile, back to work for me! I enjoy your website so much. Makes me think, helps hone my research skills, and it’s all so interesting.)
Signature: Ellen

Flea Beetles

Hi again Ellen,
We agree that these are Flea Beetles. We haven’t the necessary skills to key them down to a species level, but based on the stated food plants, we believe your identification of Altica litigata is most likely correct.

Flea Beetles

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False Potato Beetle

On February 5, 2013 · Category: Leaf Beetles · Add Comment

Subject: Beetle
Location: Columbia, Maryland
February 5, 2013 4:02 pm
Been looking to ID this beetle. Got your book Curious World of Bugs, and thought maybe a 10 line beetle. An entymologist suggested a ”potatoe beetle”. What say you? It was photographed by a pond.Mid July, 2013.
Signature: Bill

False Potato Beetle

Hi Bill,
The Ten Line Beetle you mention is probably a Ten Lined June Beetle, and that is a much larger insect than this False Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa juncta. According to BugGuide: ” a brown stripe at the center of each elytron (wing cover) and on the inner edge of each elytron (where they meet down the middle) distinguish this species“ from the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata.

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Warty Leaf Beetle

On January 20, 2013 · Category: Leaf Beetles · 4 Comments

Subject: Small bumpy beetle
Location: Connecticut, USA
January 20, 2013 3:02 pm
I have this specimen in my collection, and I’ve never been able to find any info about it… even about the family (darklings? weevils?) !
All I found is this photo on the net, from a photographer in Connecticut, who also had problems identifying this insect.
It measures about one quarter of an inch and resembles a snoutless weevil.
Thanks you
Signature: David

Warty Leaf Beetle

Hi David,
Are you certain this is a beetle? Darklings and Weevils are both good guesses, but alas, both families are enormous and diverse. We did some initial searching, and we found a Darkling Beetle that this is not. It is not Forked Fungus Beetle pictured on BugGuide. Do you have any additional photos that show the antennae and mouthparts? That might be helpful. We will contact Eric Eaton to get his opinion.

Update:
Thanks to a comment from Jacob, we now know that this is a Warty Leaf Beetle, in the genus Neochlamisus which we verified on BugGuide. “Adults resemble caterpillar droppings” according to Bugguide.

Eric Eaton Confirms Identification
Hi, Daniel:
No, it is a beetle alright, a “warty leaf beetle” to be specific, in the family Chrysomelidae and genus Neochlamisus:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/38181
They mimic caterpillar droppings, if you can believe that!
Great image! I’d love to blog about these, and would enjoy using this picture with the photographer’s permission.
Thanks for sharing!
Eric

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Antique, Victorian Brooch made with actual Tortoise Beetles

On January 15, 2013 · Category: Bug Art, Tortoise Beetles · Add Comment

Subject: Scarab Victorian Brooch
Location: Oregon
January 15, 2013 5:09 pm
This brooch had four beetles on it, but one fell off. If you Google, ”green scarab beetle,” lots of pictures of this species come up for sale called, ”antique Victorian brooch.” One website, http://wanderinweeta.blogspot.com/2010/07/ancient-mystery-beetle.html, has the best pictures I have seen where one commenter says it’s not a scarab, but rather, a tortoise beetle (Chrysomelidae). I am interested in your opinion, and whether or not you know if a replacement to fix my brooch is possible.
Signature: Jerry Burke

Antique Tortoise Beetle Brooch

Hi Jerry,
We agree 100% that these are not Scarab Beetles, but rather, that they are Leaf Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, possibly Tortoise Beetles in the tribe Cassidini. Here are some examples of North American species from BugGuide. We have never seen this particular species, but we did find other examples online of Victorian jewelry made with these beetles which are incorrectly being called Scarabs, as well as some modern jewelry by Lito Karakostanoglou. We will continue to research this matter.

After finding numerous examples of Victorian Jewelry made with these Leaf Beetles incorrectly identified as being Scarab Beetles, we finally found the Mid-19th Century Jewelry website with this image correctly identified as being earings made of Tortoise Beetles. The Evolution website has a pair of earrings with the species identified as Desmonota variolosa with this information: “Tortoise Beetle Earrings – Desmonota variolosa The tortoise beetle is a member of the leaf beetle subfamily. These tortoise beetles have been mounted on a pair of sterling silver earrings. Their beautiful green sheen is sure to attract attention and open the wearer up to a host of compliments.” You might want to consider ordering a pair of earrings from Evolution and having a jeweler replace the missing Tortoise Beetle in your brooch. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “The pits and grooves covering the South American leaf beetle Desmonota variolosa give it an iridescent green colour with depth resembling that of an emerald.” There is a nice image of these beetles in the Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery Collections website. We have given up hunting for a photo online of a living Desmonota variolosa, but we just thought of a new search idea.

We did find a similar looking red Tortoise Beetle from Costa Rica on the Nature Closeups website that is identified as being in the genus Spaethiella. We also found a gorgeous blue and red Tortoise Beetle from the Amazon on Green Tracks News identified as being in the genus Eugenysa. Alas, we could not find any images of living Desmonota variolosa. If any of our readers get lucky enough to find a photo of a living specimen of Desmonota variolosa, please comment on this posting.

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Shiny Flea Beetle

Gold Bug is Tortoise Beetle

Rosemary Leaf Beetle from UK

Tortoise Beetle and Stink Bug Nymphs from Costa Rica

Flea Beetles

False Potato Beetle

Warty Leaf Beetle

Antique, Victorian Brooch made with actual Tortoise Beetles

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