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Leaf beetle life cycle

Paropsisterna fastidiosa

Photo by MartinL
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Numerous blushed leaf beetles on young eucalyptus saplings. I saw the whole range of larval stages on the same tree.

Notes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40325561@N04/5240457532/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zosterops/5477040027/sizes/l/in/photostrea…
http://www.tfic.net.au/SpeciesPages/Paropsisterna%20obovata.html

According to unpublished keys to Paropsisterna by David deLittle, this insect is P. Fastidiosa.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (17)
MartinL
Thanks LeanneGardner. We've only 122 species of Paropsisterna to spot.
MartinL
There is a tentative name for these in Tasmania. Paropsisterna ovata. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zosterops/6115337928/ They seem to be primarily green and red. Variicollis differs by markings on the pronotum (which mine seem to also have some) and a "mostly black ventral surface and legs" http://www.flickr.com/photos/zosterops/6115337928/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/zosterops/5477040027/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Mark Ridgway
We visited these today thanks to your directions Martin. What a wonderful little 'spottings' area ! It will take a week to recover from all the 'clicking'. Also I was thinking a good name for these is Apple paropsids especially as they have them in Tasmania.
MartinL
Thanks StephenSolomons Thanks Marta RubioTexeira
The MnMs
Very descriptive spotting, martinl. Thanks for sharing!
MartinL
Thanks Daniele. Thanks Luis.
MartinL
Daniele, these pics were all taken on the same small tree at the same time. As chrysomelidae species are often found mixed together it can be a guess about who owns which larvae. There were no other species nearby so I am confident to attribute each of these stages to this species.
MartinL
Thanks Mark. I wondered that too but I think the colors are quite different. I was thinking of this one that K. Walker didn't give a name to http://www.padil.gov.au/pests-and-diseases/Pest/Main/135776# The larval stages also are different. I have seen another in NSW that is close to p. Variicollis http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/17119700
DanielePralong
Great series Martin! Over what period of time did you find all these stages?
Mark Ridgway
This might be P variicollis? https://91adcd43-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/insectsoftasmaniacoleoptera/suborder-polyphaga/chrysomelidae-leaf-beetles/IMG_6606.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7cpeFaAa9Bdl4drzcS-RYrLotfNBQ30gdwEUyUIsttZ5KwS0GVQ-2Kd-UKQeav8PnyRD2wTN2hGc4OfpuhwvrJNbBxM_n7SmSmgebERaS7icA4jtn9z0aKdean7IZaPP53ckaAmGI_83bM5HGnHkHfq4ZrxFkwp0Gm0kp62KKUEvqFn4L5Kk7zLF3rqgMankOmhKRZJ6sDMDhdx8o1xnzp51N345vovsCA_dcke8Zp0Dadbth2VGlLkbLOFb4hGaNmY7P25PmacbL8rLSiI3AgUX7fxwbBePwl8W1Vs2UpurI7XaCII%3D&attredirects=0
Leuba Ridgway
...Right ! heading that way soon....thank you. All we've got here are nowArmyworm and Cutworm moths.
MartinL
Wicks Reserve in The Basin is not far from you. I found them on about ten different young saplings. About one in ten was much more pink than the others. I also saw one P. atomaria and one pair of P. variicollis, a tiny Arkys and a stick insect.
Leuba Ridgway
Martin, have you started painting these ?? you must have such a lovely collection ! they look like lollies....hope I get to see some of these this season.

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Beetles of Southeastern Australia
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Photographed
PublishedOctober 8, 2013

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