Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Chrysomelidae Scientific name Leptinotarsa haldemani | Phylum Arthropoda Order Coleoptera Genus Leptinotarsa Rank Species | |
Similar Leptinotarsa texana, False potato beetle, Leptinotarsa undecimlineata, Zygogramma, Leptinotarsa | ||
Leptinotarsa haldemani is a glossy green beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is commonly known as Haldeman's green potato beetle. It was named in honour of Samuel Stehman Haldeman, a nineteenth-century American entomologist who collected insect specimens in Texas.
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Description
This little beetle has a black head, antennae, thorax and legs. Its general body shape is domed and the elytra are usually deep metallic green but sometimes metallic purple or blue.
Distribution
This species is found in Mexico, Central America and the US states of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Host plants
This beetle is found on members of the Solanaceae family including wild species of Physalis, Solanum douglasii and the Anderson thornbush, Lycium andersonii. It is also occasionally found on potatoes.