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Trirhabda flavolimbata

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Trirhabda flavolimbata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chrysomelidae
Genus: Trirhabda
Species:
T. flavolimbata
Binomial name
Trirhabda flavolimbata
(Mannerheim, 1843)

Trirhabda flavolimbata, also called the coyote brush leaf beetle, is a species of skeletonizing leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae.[1][2][3] It is found in California in coastal scrublands or chaparral habitats.[4] Its main host plant is coyote brush, but it has been noted to feed on other species of Baccharis, as well as Aster, Senecio, Artemisia, Solidago, and Eriodictyon.[5]

Larvae and adult coyote brush leaf beetles are metallic green. This coloration might function as a warning color, as both larvae and adult beetles are toxic due to chemicals ingested from the coyote brush.[4]

Five metallic green larvae on a stick
Coyote brush leaf beetle larvae

Coyote brush leaf beetles have one brood a season. They lay their eggs in soil, where they remain over summer and winter before hatching. Larvae feed voraciously on the coyote brush, then return to the soil to pupate for about two weeks.[4] Larvae are generally active February to March, with adults active April to May.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Trirhabda flavolimbata Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  2. ^ "Trirhabda flavolimbata". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  3. ^ a b c Aguilar, Russ (Spring 2024). "The Tussle Between a Beetle and Its Shrub". Bay Nature. 24 (2): 18–19.
  4. ^ Tilden, J.W. (June 1953). "Biological Notes on Trirhabda flavolimbata (Chrysomelidae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 7 (3): 20–23. JSTOR 3998772 – via JSTOR.
  5. ^ Palmer, W.A. (June 1986). "The Host Range of Trirhabda flavolimbata (Mannerheim) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Its Suitability as a Biological Control Agent for Baccharis Spp. (Asteraceae: Astereae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 40 (2): 149–153. JSTOR 4008402 – via JSTOR.

Further reading

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