Manzanita Leaf Beetle

Description:

This Leaf Beetle is endemic to the mountain valleys of the Chiapas highlands where the Manzanita tree is also endemic. The female shown above is swollen with eggs. First instar larvae are dark and usually stay together eating outwards in a group (pictures 3 & 4). The larger instars are usually found feeding alone on a leaf (picture 5). The last picture is unusual in that a last instar nymph is feeding together with first instar nymphs. It must have thought the babie's leaf looked tastier. The adults eat holes in the leaves, while the larvae excoriate the upper leaf surface. Family Chrysomelidae.

Habitat:

Manzanita tree, semi-rural residential area, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, 2,200 meters.