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Chrysomelidae

Chrysomelidae fossil

Leaf beetle

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Chrysomeloidea
Family: Chrysomelidae
Latreille, 1802 [1]
Subfamilies

See text.

Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles. This is a family of over 35,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, one of the largest and most commonly-encountered of all beetle families.

Leaf beetles are partially recognizable by their tarsal formula, which appears to be 4-4-4, but is actually 5-5-5.[2] They are distinguished with difficulty from long-horned beetles (family Cerambycidae) by having the antennae NOT arising from frontal tubercles. Adult and larval leaf beetles feed on all sorts of plant tissue. Many are economically important pests of agriculture, for example the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), the asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi), the cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus), and various flea beetles.


Classification

* Subfamily Bruchinae Latreille, 1802
* Subfamily Chrysomelinae Latreille, 1802
* Subfamily Criocerinae Latreille, 1804
* Subfamily Cryptocephalinae Gyllenhal, 1813
* Subfamily Donaciinae Kirby, 1837
* Subfamily Eumolpinae Hope, 1840
* Subfamily Galerucinae Latreille, 1802
* Subfamily Hispinae Gyllenhal, 1813
* Subfamily Lamprosomatinae Lacordaire, 1848
* Subfamily Sagrinae Leach, 1815
* Subfamily Spilopyrinae Chapuis, 1874

One of the present subfamilies (Bruchinae) was, until recently, considered a separate family, while two former subfamilies are presently considered families (Orsodacnidae and Megalopodidae). Other commonly-recognized subfamilies have recently been grouped with other subfamilies, usually reducing them to tribal rank (e.g., the former Cassidinae, Alticinae, Chlamisinae, and Clytrinae).

References

1. ^ Chrysomelidae (TSN 114509). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
2. ^ "Family Identification - Chrysomeloidea". University of Florida. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.

External links

on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site




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