Plagiodera thymaloides

Stål, 1860

Brush-holly Leaf Beetle

Plagiodera thymaloides is a leaf beetle in the Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the Brush-holly Leaf Beetle. The occurs in Central America and North America. It belongs to a that includes other willow-associated leaf beetles, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented. Records are sparse, with limited observational data available.

Chrysomelidae (10.3897-zookeys.825.30455) Figure 6 by Sánchez-Reyes UJ, Niño-Maldonado S, Clark SM, Barrientos-Lozano L, Almaguer-Sierra P (2019) Successional and seasonal changes of leaf beetles and their indicator value in a fragmented low thorn forest of northeastern Mexico (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). ZooKeys 825: 71-103. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.825.30455. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Plagiodera thymaloides: /ˌplæɡioʊˈdɛrə θaɪməˌlɔɪdiːz/

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Distribution

Central America and North America. GBIF records confirm presence in Middle America and North America.

Similar Taxa

Plagiodera versicoloraCongeneric with similar pattern (willow leaf beetle association); P. versicolora is a well-documented pest of willows with established , whereas P. thymaloides has minimal published ecological data.

More Details

Taxonomic note

The Plagiodera contains several North American , but P. thymaloides has received minimal study compared to the economically significant P. versicolora. The specific epithet 'thymaloides' suggests possible resemblance to plants in the genus Thymelaea, though this has not been confirmed in literature.