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Leaf Beetle

Photo by LaurenZarate
Published on Project Noah
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22.51, -100.47

Field Notes

Description:

Small yellow Leaf Beetle with red markings. I haven't seen this one before. About 6 mm long. Family Chrysomelidae.

Habitat:

Came to the lights of a store, Axtla de Terrazas near Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)

ID = Malacorhinus foveipennis (Jacoby, 1879) The remaining 11 species from Mexican list excluded. Type image and original description do not show / describe clearly this pattern in red, but 1) it seems the type had a reduced pattern anyway; 2) colours faded after death. If you look closely, you can see the red suture, humerus, and two discal spots (last missing in type, second pair fused over suture in your example). Type: http://140.247.96.247/mcz/Species_record.php?id=15848 Description: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/90455#page/596/mode/1up
Feature is characteristic for males of Malacorhinus: http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/bca/navigation/bca_12_06_01/bca_12_06_01.cfm?start=609 so probably sexual teasers . . .
I see a salient feature: paired "peaks" on sides of elytra, perfectly symmetrical. May be glandular openings beneath? Ant teasers? Anyway, looks similar to genus Exora.

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