Peltoschema is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. This genus contains about 94 species.[1][2] Some mimic ladybird beetles and others are pests and can cause serious defoliation of their host plants. Peltoschema orphana (the fireblight beetle) can defoliate and kill populations of silver wattle.[3][failed verification][4] and badly damage Acacia mearnsii.[5] Peltoschema suturalis is native to Australia and another pest of Acacias.[6]

Peltoschema
Peltoschema orphana Fireblight beetle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Chrysomelidae
Subfamily: Chrysomelinae
Genus: Peltoschema
Reitter, 1880
Species
  • See text for complete list
Peltoschema tetraspilota
Peltoschema trilineata
Peltoschema delicula
peltoschema oceanica
Peltoschema rubiginosa
Peltoschema hamadryas larva
Peltoschema hamadryas
Peltoschema sp

Taxonomy

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The genus was first described by Edmund Reitter in 1880, with the type species being Peltoschema filicornis, by monotypy,[7][8] and was redescribed in 2001 by Reid and Slipinski.[9] The taxonomic decision for the synonymy of Acacicola Lea, 1903, Pyrgoides, and Pyrgo is based on Reid and Slipinski's 2001 paper.[8][9]

Distribution

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Beetles of this genus are found in all states and territories of Australia.[8]

Host plants

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Host plants include not only plants in the genera Acacia and Daviesia in the Fabaceae family, but also plants in the Myrtaceae and Apocynaceae families.[2]

Species

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Further reading

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References

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  1. "Biolab".
  2. 1 2 José A Jurado-Rivera; Alfried P Vogler; Chris A M Reid; Eduard Petitpierre; Jesús Gómez-Zurita (1 February 2009). "DNA barcoding insect-host plant associations". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 276 (1657): 639–648. doi:10.1098/RSPB.2008.1264. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 2660938. PMID 19004756. Wikidata Q52695186.
  3. "NZ Farm Forestry - Home Page". nzffa.org.nz.
  4. "Traralgon South Environment Site". Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  5. Fagg,P. (2016). "Fireblight affecting wattle trees". The Victorian Naturalist. 133 (6): 199–201. ISSN 0042-5184.
  6. "Peltoschema suturalis". NZ Farm Forestry. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  7. Reitter, E. (1880). "Neun neue Clavicornier (Coleoptera)" (PDF). Verhandlungen des naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn (in German). 18: 1–6 [4].
  8. 1 2 3 "Australian Faunal Directory: Peltoschema". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  9. 1 2 C. A M. Reid; S. A. Ślipiński (September 2001). "Peltoschema Reitter, a Hitherto Unrecognised Chrysomeline: Redescription and Synonymy (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 55 (3): 330–337. doi:10.1649/0010-065X(2001)055[0330:PRAHUC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0010-065X. Wikidata Q94245036.
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