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Tortoise leaf beetle

Paropsisterna nigerrima

Photo by MartinL
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Large leaf beetle with bright red stripes

Habitat:

On Manna Gum

Notes:

Tortoise beetle #9
http://morwellnp.pangaean.net/cgi-bin/show_species.cgi?find_this=Parops…

Reference Links:

http://morwellnp.pangaean.net/cgi-bin/show_species.cgi?find_this=Paropsisterna%…

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (11)
Mark Ridgway
Thanks. The parops site is coming along nicely.
MartinL
Paropsisterna-nigerrima-var-alternata There are several that look similar and octolineata is larger and smoother and tropical. I've checked the museum collections and decided to change the name. https://sites.google.com/site/paropsisternablackpages/paropsisterna-nigerrima-var-alternata
MartinL
Ashish. There are many tortoise leaf beetles in our country and I'm getting to know them well. They are my favorite group.
MartinL
Thanks Mayra. This one is rare and huge, and exciting when I see one. There is a similar one but with a different name http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_leafbeetles/Aerarium.htm
Mark Ridgway
Thanks martin. The potential rate of learning here can be phenomenal. We don't have any manna gum here so maybe that's why I haven't seen this guy. Going into the garden with the camera has made me realise just how important it is to promote local and native plants - the 'foreigners' here are all devoid of life by comparison.
MartinL
Last year I saw one only of this species, but I had a crap camera. Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) are vegetarian like most beetles are and the ones that eat the lerps are ladybird beetles. This one eats the manna gm leaves, so does its larvae. Pupae drop to the ground.
Mark Ridgway
Wow I've never seen one of these around here. Was it eating the usual manna lerpy things?
MartinL
Many seem to mimic the various galls that appear on leaves. Others clearly do not. This one is just showing off.
CindyBinghamKeiser
I'm amazed at the different colors and patterns on Tortoise beetles :) This one is very pretty.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity
Mission
The Color Red
Mission
Beetles of Southeastern Australia

Tags

Photographed
PublishedDecember 8, 2011

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