Leaf beetles[]
Arthropods (Arthropoda)----Insects (Insecta)----Beetles (Coleoptera)-----Polyphaga-----Chrysomeloidea-----Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae)
10th August, 2008. Calligrapha californica. When I first saw it I thought it was a Waterside ladybird.
This page also includes Orsodacnidae[]
Leaf beetles are are group of mainly herbivorous beetles, a few species look remarkably like, and are often mistaken for, ladybirds. The key here is the more elongated shape of these insects, and their much longer antennae. Almost all of the garden pest species, such as the Lily beetle, Colorado and Asparagus beetle, are in this family and cause devastating damage to crops and plants. However, some are of economic importance, such as a biological control for rapidly spawning weed species.
Larvae of leaf beetles normally feed on leaves above ground, but some are subterranean and feed on plant roots underground.
This group consists of Basic leaf beetles, Tortoise beetles (Cassidinae), Flea beetles(Galerucinae), Skeletonizing leaf beetles (also Galerucinae) and the longhorn-like Case bearers (Cryptocephalinae). Flea beetles are not featured on this page, go to the bottom and click on Alticini from the table.
Species[]
California Calligrapha---Calligrapha californica
| Dogwood calligrapha | Calligrapha philadelphica | Goldenrod skeletonizing leaf beetle | Trirhabda canadensis |
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| Cottonwood leaf beetles | Chrysomela scripta and semota | A small leaf beetle | Gastrophysa polygoni |
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| Red turnip beetle | Entomoscelis americana | A small leaf beetle | Orsodacne atra |
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| Red-rimmed leaf beetle | Galeruca externa | ||
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| Flea beetles (Alticini) |   |
| California Calligrapha | Calligrapha californica |
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