#calligrapha serpentina

[snototter]

A globemallow leaf beetle (Calligrapha serpentina) in North America

by Luis Alvaz

[libutron]

Globemallow Leaf Beetle - Calligrapha serpentina 

The Globemallow Leaf Beetle may look like a type of Lady Bug, bit it is not. As a member of the leaf beetles family (Chrysomelidae) the diet of Calligrapha serpentina is plant-based, unlike the carnivorous diet of Lady Bugs. In fact, many leaf beetles are considered pests due to the extensive damage they inflict on the plants they are eating. 

As its common name suggests, the preferred vegetation of Calligrapha serpentina are plants in the mallow family, specifically the bushy, bright, desert-growing Globemallow.

This species occurs in the southwestern of the United States and Mexico.

Reference: [1]

Photo credit: ©Dave Beaudette | Locality: Fort Huachuca, Cochise County, Arizona, US (2014)