Disonycha discoidea
| Disonycha discoidea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Genus: | Disonycha |
| Species: | D. discoidea |
| Binomial name | |
| Disonycha discoidea (Fabricius, 1792) | |
Disonycha discoidea, the passionflower flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.
Description
[edit]The adult is large for a flea beetle, roughly 7 mm long and 4 mm wide. The body is oval-shaped and orange-red (some references base the description on preserved specimens, which yellow with age[1]). The antennae are dark, with the basal and apical joints sometimes paler.[2][3]
Two subspecies are recognized, distinguished by elytra coloration:[2][3]
- D. discoidea discoidea: elytra with a black discoidal spot of variable but large size, not reaching the margins.
- D. discoidea abbreviata: elytra with alternating longitudinal black and pale yellow stripes.
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Etymology
[edit]Chevrolat coined the genus name Disonycha from the Greek roots δίς (two) and ὄνυξ (claw).[4] The specific epithet discoidea presumably refers to the disc-shaped black spot on the elytra.[2]
Distribution
[edit]Disonycha discoidea is found in the eastern United States, from Texas and Kansas in the west to Georgia and Maryland in the east.[2] Some references report a broader range of Colorado to Florida to Rhode Island.[5]
Diet
[edit]
As the common name suggests, Disonycha discoidea is a Passiflora specialist, feeding on yellow passionflower and purple passionflower.[2][3][6] These plants contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides which other herbivorous insects are able to take in and sequester,[7] but it is not yet known whether Disonycha discoidea makes use of them.
Disonycha discoidea has also been reported to feed on another plant, Euonymus atropurpureus, but this may be a separate, undescribed species.[6]
Other congeneric Passiflora specialists (D. quinquelineata and D. stenosticha) have been observed cannibalizing eggs.[8]
Life history
[edit]
The beetle overwinters as an adult, underneath plant leaves or underground.[6] They emerge in spring and lay eggs on or near a host plant. The larvae feed on the leaves, often in groups. They eventually pupate underground.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ Evans, Arthur V. (2014). Beetles of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-13303-4.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Blake, Doris Holmes (1933). "Revision of the beetles of the genus Disonycha occurring in America north of Mexico". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 82. Smithsonian Institution: 1–66. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.82-2969.1.
- 1 2 3 Hays, Kirby L.; Balsbaugh, Edward U. (1972). The Leaf Beetles of Alabama (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (Report). Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 441. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
- 1 2 D'Orbigny, Charles (1845). Dictionnaire universel d'histoire naturelle. Vol. 5. p. 81. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.156428.
- ↑ Riley, Edward G.; Clark, Shawn M.; Seeno, Terry N. (2003). Catalog of the leaf beetles of America north of Mexico (PDF) (Report). The Coleopterists Society. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
- 1 2 3 Clark, Shawn M.; LeDoux, Douglas G.; Seeno, Terry N.; Riley, Edward G.; Gilbert, Arthur J.; Sullivan, James M. (2004). Host plants of leaf beetle species occurring in the United States and Canada (PDF) (Report). The Coleopterists Society. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
- ↑ Spencer, Kevin C. (1988). "Chapter 7 - Chemical Mediation of Coevolution in the Passiflora–Heliconius Interaction". Chemical Mediation of Coevolution. Academic Press. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-656855-4.50011-5. ISBN 9780126568554.
- ↑ Morrison, Colin R.; Armstrong, Wyatt (2024). "Egg Cannibalism by Passion Vine Specialist Disonycha Chevrolat Flea Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 78 (4). The Coleopterists Society: 494–498. doi:10.1649/0010-065X-78.4.494.
Further reading
[edit]- Nie, R-E; Bezděk, J.; Yang, X-K (2017). "How many genera and species of Galerucinae s. str. do we know? Updated statistics (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). In: Chaboo CS, Schmitt M (Eds) Research on Chrysomelidae". ZooKeys (720): 91–102. Bibcode:2017ZooK..720...91N. doi:10.3897/zookeys.720.13517. PMC 5740445. PMID 29290727.
- Lobl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2013). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 6: Chrysomeloidea. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-90-04-26091-7.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Disonycha discoidea at Wikimedia Commons- "Disonycha discoidea species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
