Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Thoracic-spotted Flea Beetle

Kuschelina thoracica (Fabricius)

Family Chrysomelidae, Subfamily Galerucinae, Tribe Alticini

cf: Kuschelina laeta, Kuschelina vians

Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts
May 29, 2005 (Tom Murray)

State Records for Kuschelina thoracica

State Record Source: (Riley et al. 2003)

Range: Texas to Kansas, east to New Hampshire, south to Florida (Riley et al. 2003).

Larval Hosts: Has been collected from Trichostema dichotomum (Lamiaceae) (Clark et al. 2004).

Adult Activity: April 8 to July 16 in Alabama based on 15 specimens (Balsbaugh & Hays 1972).

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)

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.