Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Pleasing Flea Beetle

Kuschelina laeta (Perbosc)

Family Chrysomelidae, Subfamily Galerucinae, Tribe Alticini

cf: Kuschelina thoracica, Kuschelina vians

Mission, Hidalgo Co., Texas
July 18, 1999 (M Quinn)

Unit tray of Kuschelina laeta curated in the TAMUIC

Texas County Records for Kuschelina laeta

County Record Data from E.G. Riley, Nov. 2005

Range: GA, AL, LA, TX, south to Central America (Riley et al, 2003).

Adult Activity: March to June 4 in Alabama based on five specimens (Balsbaugh & Hays 1972).

Larval Hosts: Euphorbiaceae and Verbenaceae (Clark et al. 2004).

ID Note: White spots sometimes connected by pale lines within each elytron based on specimens examined in the TAMUIC.

Similar Species: There are 28 species of Kuschelina north of Mexico (Arnett et al. 2002).

Texas Taxa:

Kuschelina concinna (Fabricius)
Kuschelina fallax (Melsheimer)
Kuschelina fimbriata (Forster)
Kuschelina flavocyanea (Crotch)
Kuschelina gibbitarsa (Say)
Kuschelina horni (Harold)
Kuschelina jacobiana (Horn)
Kuschelina laeta (Perbosc)
Kuschelina lugens (LeConte)
Kuschelina petaurista (Fabricius)
Kuschelina suturella (Say)
Kuschelina thoracica (Fabricius)
Kuschelina vians (Illiger)

Taxonomy:

Kuschelina laeta (Perbosc)
Kuschelina interjectionis (Crotch) - syn.

Etymology: laet (L). Gay, pleasing (Borror 1960)

Type Specimen:

Original combination: Oedionychis interjectionis Crotch, 1873
Current name: Kuschelina laeta (Perbosc)

References:

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.

Balsbaugh, E.U. & K.L. Hays. 1972. The Leaf beetles of Alabama (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 441:1-223.

Blake, D.H. 1927. A Revision of the Beetles of the genus Oedionychis Occurring in America North of Mexico. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 70(23): 1-44.

Blake, D.H. 1954. Chrysomelid Beetles of the Oedionychus miniatus Complex. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash., 56: 139-147.

Borror, D.J. 1960. Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms. National Press Books, Palo Alto. 134 pp.

Clark, S.M., D.G. LeDoux, T.N. Seeno, E.G. Riley, A.J. Gilbert & 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.

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.

Peterson A. 1951. Larvae of Insects; Part II -- Coleoptera, Diptera, Neuroptera, Siphonaptera, Mecoptera, Trichoptera. Edwards Bros., Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. 416 p.

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.