Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Sunflower Beetle

Zygogramma exclamationis (Fabricius)

Family Chrysomelidae, Subfamily Chrysomelinae, Tribe Chrysomelini

cf: Zygogramma suturalis, Zygogramma heterothecae

Unit tray of Z. exclamationis specimens curated in the TAMUIC

State Records for Zygogramma exclamationis

State Record Data per Riley et al. 2003

Range: Primarily Great Plains states west and adjacent Canada, except Pacific Northwest (Riley et al. 2003).

Hosts: This species feeds on Sunflowers, Helianthus spp., Asteraceae (Clark et al. 2004).

Host Plants:

Helianthus annuus
Helianthus giganteus
Helianthus petiolaris

Similar Species:

This genus contains about 100 species distributed throughout much of North and South America, with 13 species occurring north of Mexico, primarily in the western half of the continent (Arnett et al. 2002).

Texas Taxa: (per Riley et al. 2003)

Zygogramma conjuncta conjuncta (Rogers)
Zygogramma conjuncta pallida (Bland)
Zygogramma continua (LeConte)
Zygogramma disrupta (Rogers)
Zygogramma exclamationis (Fabricius)
Zygogramma heterothecae Linell
Zygogramma malvae (Stål)
Zygogramma opifera (Stål)
Zygogramma piceicollis (Stål)
Zygogramma suturalis (Fabricius)
Zygogramma tortuosa (Rogers)

Weblinks: Biology and Pest Management of the Sunflower Beetle of North Dakota

Photos:

Zygogramma exclamationis - Insects of Cedar Creek
Zygogramma exclamationis - NDSU
sunflower beetle - J.P. Michaud, Kansas State University

References:

Altieri, M.A. & W.H. Whitcomb. 1980. Predaceous and herbivorous arthropods associated with camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris Lamb.) in north Florida. Journal of the Georgia Entomological Society 15(3):290-299.

Arnett, R.H., Jr., M.C. Thomas, P.E. Skelley & J.H. Frank. (editors). 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press. 861 pp.

Charlet, L. D. 1991. Overwintering survival and emergence pattern for the sunflower beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the northern great plains. J. Econ. Entomol. 84: 132-135.

Charlet, L. D. 1997. Overwintering biology of the sunflower beetle, Zygogramma exclamationis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and the impact of tillage on survival and emergence. Proc. 19th Sunflower Research Workshop, Natl. Sunflower Assoc., Fargo, ND, 9-10 January 1997. p. 29-34.

Charlet L.D., & Knodel J.J. 2003. Impact of planting date on sunflower beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) infestation, damage, and parasitism in cultivated sunflower. J Econ Entomol., 96(3):706-13.

Clark, S.M., D.G. LeDoux, T.N. Seeno, E.G. Riley, A.J. Gilbert and J.M. Sullivan. 2004. Host plants of leaf beetle species occurring in the United States and Canada (Coleoptera: Megalopodidae, Orsodacnidae, Chrysomelidae exclusive of Bruchinae). Coleopterists Society, Special Publication no. 2, 476 pp.

Dhileepan, K. 2003. Seasonal variation in the effectiveness of the leaf-feeding beetle Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and stem-galling moth Epiblema strenuana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) as biocontrol agents on the weed Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae). Bull Entomol Res., 93(5):393-401.

Goeden, R. D., Ricker, D. W. 1979. Life history of Zygogramma tortuosa Rogers on the ragweed, Ambrosia eriocentra (Gray) Payne, in southern California (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Pan- Pacific Entomologist, 55: 261-266.

Gupta, R.K., M.S. Khan, Kamlesh Bali, Md. Monobrullah & R.M. Bhagat. 2004. Predatory bugs of Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister: An exotic beetle for biological suppression of Parthenium hysterophorus L. Current Science, 87(7):1005-1010.

Jayanth, K.P. & P.N.G. Visalakshy. 1994. Field evaluation of sunflower varieties for susceptibility to the parthenium beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata. Journal of Biological Control 8:48-52.

Jayanth, K.P., S. Mohandas, R. Asokan, & P.N. Ganga Visalakshy. 1993. Parthenium pollen induced feeding by Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) (Compositae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 83:595-598.

Jayanth K.P., Ganga P.N., Chaudhary V.M., Ghosh S.K. 1998. Age-related feeding by the parthenium beetle Zygogramma bicolorata on sunflower and its effect on survival and reproduction. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 8(1):117-123.

Lawson, F.A. 1991. Chrysomelidae (Chrysomeloidea) pp. 568-593. In: Stehr, F.W. (editor) Immature Insects. Volume 2. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa. xiv + 975 pp.

Piper, G.L. 1978. Life history of Zygogramma disrupta in southeast Texas. Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 54: 226-230.

Reznik S.Ya. 2004.Introduction of ragweed leaf beetle Zygogramma suturalis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) as a model of invasive process. Biological Invasions in Aquatic and Terrestrial ecosystems. KMK, Moscow-St.Petersburg. P. 340-346.

Reznik S.Ya., Belokobyl'ski S.A. & Lobanov A.L. 1994. Weed and herbivorous insect population densities at the broad spatial scale: Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Zygogramma suturalis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J. Appl. Entomol. 118: 1-9.

Reznik S.Ya. 1993. Influence of target plant density on herbivorous insect oviposition choice: Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Asteraceae) and Zygogramma suturalis F. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology 3: 105-113.

Reznik S.Ya. 1993. Seasonal changes in ovipositional selectivity in the monophagous leaf beetle Zygogramma suturalis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). European J. of Entomology 90: 295-301.

Reznik S.Ya. 1991. The effects of feeding damage in ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae) on populations of Zygogramma suturalis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). Oecologia, 88: 204-210.

Riley, E.G., S.M. Clark, & T.N. Seeno. 2003. Catalog of the leaf beetles of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Megalopodidae, Orsodacnidae and Chrysomelidae, excluding Bruchinae). Coleopterists Society, Special Publication no. 1, 290 pp.

Staines, C.L. 1999. Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) new to North Carolina. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 53(1): 27-29.

Wilcox, J.A. 1972. A review of the North American Chrysomelinae leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): New York Museum and Science Service Bulletin, 421: 1–37.

Withers, T.M. 1998. Influence of plant species on host acceptance behavior of the biocontrol agent Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Biological Control 13: 55-62.