Altica

Altica
A. oleracea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chrysomelidae
Subfamily: Galerucinae
Tribe: Alticini
Genus: Altica
Geoffroy, 1762[1]
Synonyms
Haltica Illiger, 1801
Graptodera Chevrolat, 1836
Rybakowia Jacobson, 1892
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Altica is a large genus of flea beetles in the subfamily Galerucinae, with about 300 species, distributed nearly worldwide.[2][3] The genus is best represented in the Neotropic region, well represented in the Nearctic and Palearctic, but occurs also in the Afrotropic, Indomalaya and Australasia. The species are similar to each other, small metallic blue-green-bronze beetles, often distinguished from each other only by the aedeagus. The species of Altica, both as larvae and as adults, are phytophagous, feeding on plant foliage of various food plant taxa, specific for each Altica species. Onagraceae and Rosaceae (mainly Rubus) are the dominant host plant families for Holarctic species. The adult Altica beetles are able to jump away when approached.

(Partial) list of species

References

  1. ↑ Conserved name, ICZN 1994. However, David G. Firth argued that Altica had been cited by Geoffroy, 1762, and O. F. Müller, 1764, invalidly, and the first valid citation is Fabricius, 1775, see David G. Furth (1980), Altica of Israel (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae). Israel Journal of Entomology 14, 55-66.
  2. ↑ Konstantinov A.S., Vandenberg N.J. 1996. Handbook of Palaearctic flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae). Contributions on Entomology, International, Vol. 1, Part 3. Gainesville, FL: Associated Publishers. P. 237-440.
  3. ↑ Ross H. Arnett et al. American Beetles, Vol. 2: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2002. ISBN 0-8493-0954-9. P. 662-663.

Further reading

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