Order Coleoptera Higher classification Leaf beetle | Family Chrysomelidae Scientific name Cassida rubiginosa Rank Species | |
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Similar Beetle, Cassida, Leaf beetle, Insect, Cassida viridis | ||
Thistle tortoise beetle chrysomelidae cassida rubiginosa on leaf
The thistle tortoise beetle (Cassida rubiginosa) is a tortoise beetle, and as such belongs to the leaf beetles. It has a green carapace (despite "Rubiginosus" being latin for "rusty or rust-coloured").
It is a species recorded in Britain and is native to Eurasia. It feeds on Canada thistle and was intentionally introduced to Virginia to control thistles. It has spread to the northern United States, following accidental introduction to Quebec in 1901. In Canada it has also spread to New Brunswick, Alberta , and has been seen as far south as Colorado.
Cassida rubiginosa was brought to New Zealand for use as a biological control agent against Canada thistle in 2006. In New Zealand this species is commonly referred to as the 'green thistle beetle' by landowners and biological control practitioners. Field releases of egg-laying adults were first carried out in Otago and Southland in spring 2007. Beetle populations at early release sites in Southland have become established and are already having a minor localized impact on the thistles. It is estimated that Canada thistle (known commonly in New Zealand as 'Californian thistle') costs landowners around $32 million per year in Otago and Southland alone.
