Stenopodius texanus

Schaeffer, 1933

Stenopodius texanus is a leaf beetle in the Chrysomelidae, first described by Schaeffer in 1933. It belongs to the Cassidinae, a group commonly known as tortoise beetles or leaf-mining beetles. The species is found in western North America, with records from the southwestern United States and Canadian prairies. have been collected on plants in the Sphaeralcea and Abutilon, though the specific food plant relationships remain incompletely understood.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stenopodius texanus: /ˌstɛnoʊˈpoʊdiəs tɛkˈseɪnəs/

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Habitat

have been collected on Sphaeralcea (S. coccinea, S. emoryi, S. lindheimeri) and Abutilon species. These plants suggest association with dry, open including prairies, grasslands, and desert scrub where mallows (Malvaceae) occur.

Distribution

Recorded from Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan) and the United States (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas).

Diet

Food plant unknown. have been observed on Sphaeralcea and Abutilon , both in the Malvaceae.

Host Associations

  • Sphaeralcea coccinea - occurrencemallow
  • Sphaeralcea emoryi - occurrencemallow
  • Sphaeralcea lindheimeri - occurrencemallow
  • Abutilon - occurrencemallow ; specific not recorded

More Details

Taxonomic placement

Placed in Cassidinae, tribe Chalepini. The Stenopodius contains multiple North American , most with limited biological data.

Data limitations

No larval records, details, or morphological descriptions were found in the available sources. The appears to be infrequently collected and poorly documented in the literature.

Sources and further reading