Domain Eukaryota Superfamily Chrysomeloidea Subfamily Galerucinae Phylum Arthropoda Rank Genus | Kingdom Animalia Family Chrysomelidae Scientific name Pyrrhalta Higher classification Galerucinae Order Beetle | |
 | ||
Similar Viburnum leaf beetle, Leaf beetle, Beetle, Insect, Galerucinae | ||
Pyrrhalta is a genus of beetles in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. Species are distributed throughout much of the world, including much of the Northern Hemisphere and the Australian region.
The taxonomy of the genus is not clear. Species are separated from those of other genera by the sometimes inconsistent comparison of questionable characters, such as the distribution of minute hairs. There is also little agreement on how to divide the group into subgenera. Former subgenera such as Xanthogaleruca are treated as separate genera by some authors, but not accepted as such by others.
A definition of the genus used by some authors includes characters such as a hairy pronotum and elytra, gena (the spaces below the eyes) longer than the eyes themselves, and a labrum with a line of hairy pores.
This is one of the largest genera of the leaf beetle subfamily Galerucinae, with about 111 to 115 species.
A number of Pyrrhalta are considered pests. The species Pyrrhalta viburni has received attention as a Eurasian beetle introduced to North America with the potential to do significant damage to native and cultivated viburnum plants.
Species include: