Texas Beetle Information

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Tropical Milkweed Leaf Beetle

Labidomera suturella (Germar)

Family Chrysomelidae, Subfamily Chrysomelinae, Tribe Chrysomelini


cf: Labidomera clivicollis

 

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
(M Quinn)


 

Unit tray Labidomera suturella specimens curated at the TAMUIC showing intraspecific variation


Range: Northern Mexico south to Brazil (Blackwelder, 1957).

Adult Activity: April to August based on eight specimens in the TAMUIC

Biology: Choe (1989) found maternal care in this species in Costa Rica.

Similar Species: There are four species of Labidomera, but only L. clivicollis occurs north of Mexico (Arnett et al. 2002).


References:

Abbot P. & L.M. Dill. 2001. Sexually transmitted parasites and sexual selection in the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis. Oikos 92(1):91-100. 

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.

Baker T.C. & G.C. Eickwort. 1975. Development and bionomics of Chrysomelobis labidomerae...a parasite of the milkweed leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Canadian Entomologist. 107:627-638. 

Blackwelder, R.E., 1944-1957. Checklist of the Coleopterous insects of Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America, part 4. Smithsonian Institution US Natural History Museum Bulletin 185, Parts 1-6. 1492 pp.

Choe, J.C. 1989. Maternal care in Labidomera suturella Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae) from Costa Rica. Psyche 96(1-2): 63-68. 

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.

Daccordi, M. & L. LeSage 1999. Revision of the genus Labidomera Dejean with description of two new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae). Pp. 437-461 in: M.L. Cox (editor). Advances in Chrysomelidae biology. Volume I. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands. xii + 671 pp.

Dickinson, J.L. 1986. Prolonged mating in the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis): a test of the "sperm-loading" hypothesis. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 18: 331-338.

Dickinson, J.L. 1988. Determinants of paternity in the milkweed leaf beetle. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 23: 9-19.

Dickinson, JL. 1992. Egg cannibalism by larvae and adults of the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis , Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Ecological Entomology 17(3):209-218. 

Dickinson, JL 1992. Scramble competition polygyny in the milkweed leaf beetle: Combat, mobility, and the importance of being there. Behavioral Ecology 3(1)32-41.

Dickinson, J.L. 1996. The behavior and ecology of Labidomera Chevrolat. Pp 323-335 in: P. Jolivet, T. Hsaio, and M.L. Cox (editors) The Biology of the Chrysomelidae, III, SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam.

Drummond, F.A., Casagrande, R.A., & Logan, PA. 1988. Behavior of Chrysomelobia labidomerae Eickwort parasitizing the Colorado potato beetle.
International Journal of Acarology 14(4):193-198. 

Eickwort. K. R. 1973. Cannibalism and kin selection in Labidomera clivicollis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). The American Midland Naturalist 107: 452-453. 

Eickwort, K.R. 1977. Population dynamics of a relatively rare species of Milkweed beetle (Labidomera). Ecology 58(3):527-538. 

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.

Palmer, J.O. 1981. Life history consequences of resource seasonality in the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Texas at Austin. 198 p.

Palmer, J.O. 1982. Photoperiodic effect on size-related metamorphosis in the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis. Physiological Entomol. 7:37-41.

Palmer, J.O. 1983. Photoperiodic control of reproduction in the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis. Physiological Entomol. 8:187-194.

Palmer, J.O. 1984. Environmental determinants of seasonal body size variation in the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis (Kirby) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 77:188-192.

Palmer, J.O. 1985a. Phenology and dormancy in the milkweed leaf beetle Labidomera clivicollis (Kirby). The American Midland Naturalist 114:13-18.

Palmer, J.O. 1985b. Life history consequences of body size variation in the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 78:603-608.

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.

Van Zandt, P.A. & A.A. Agrawal. 2004. Specificity of induced plant responses to specialist herbivores of the common milkweed Asclepias syriaca. Oikos 104(2)401.


15 Jan 2006  © Mike Quinn / mike.quinn@tpwd.state.tx.us / Texas Entomology / Texas Beetle Information