Cassidinae
Guides
Microrhopala vittata
goldenrod leaf miner, goldenrod leafminer
Microrhopala vittata is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the goldenrod leaf miner. Adults are 5–6 mm in length and exhibit variable coloration from red to black with distinctive lighter vittae (stripes) on the elytra. The species is highly specialized on goldenrods (Solidago spp.) and flat-topped goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia), with larvae mining between leaf surfaces and adults feeding on upper leaves. Ecological studies have demonstrated its potential as a keystone species in old field communities, where outbreak populations can dramatically reduce tall goldenrod dominance and alter plant community composition for multiple years.
Octotoma marginicollis
Octotoma marginicollis is a leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae) occurring in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults have been recorded feeding on Perezia thurberi and collected from a variety of woody and herbaceous plants including Fraxinus, Baccharis, Brickellia, Viguiera, and Monarda species. The species was described by Horn in 1883.
Odontota
locust leaf miners
Odontota is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, comprising approximately eight to nine described species. The genus includes notable agricultural and forestry pests, particularly species that mine leaves of leguminous trees. The most well-known species, Odontota dorsalis (locust leaf miner), feeds on black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and related species, causing distinctive "scorched" foliage damage. Several species have been documented with specialized behaviors including extended copulation and post-copulatory mate guarding.
Odontota arizonica
Odontota arizonica is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, recorded from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species has been collected on several plant species including oaks, legumes, and ornamental plants, though its specific foodplant relationships remain incompletely known. Like other members of the genus Odontota, it likely exhibits leaf-mining larval biology.
Odontota floridana
Odontota floridana is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It was described by Butte in 1968. The species is known from a limited number of observations in North America, with records from the southeastern United States.
Odontota horni
soybean leafminer
Odontota horni is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the soybean leafminer. It is found across a broad swath of eastern and central North America, with records from 28 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The species is associated with leguminous host plants, including several Desmodium species, Tephrosia virginiana, and Glycine max (soybean), which gives it its common name.
Odontota scapularis
orange-shouldered leaf miner, orange-shouldered leafminer
Odontota scapularis, commonly known as the orange-shouldered leaf miner, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. The species is found across eastern and central North America, with records from Canada (Ontario) and numerous U.S. states. Larvae mine within leaves while adults feed externally on foliage. The species has been documented feeding on Apios americana (groundnut), a leguminous vine.
Opacinota
Opacinota is a genus of tortoise beetles (family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae) described by E. Riley in 1986. It is monotypic, containing only the single species O. bisignata. Tortoise beetles are known for their domed, shield-like body shape that extends from the pronotum to cover the elytra. The genus belongs to the tribe Cassidini within the leaf beetle family.
Parorectis callosa
Parorectis callosa is a species of tortoise beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae. First described by Boheman in 1854, this beetle is known from North America. Tortoise beetles in this genus are characterized by their distinctive domed, tortoise-like body shape and association with host plants.
Pentispa
Pentispa is a genus of tortoise beetles and hispines in the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae. The genus contains more than 20 described species distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. Members of this genus are classified in the tribe Chalepini, a group characterized by spiny or flattened body forms adapted for living on leaf surfaces.
Pentispa distincta
Pentispa distincta is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae. Adults measure 4.5-5.2 mm in length. The species occurs in Texas (USA), Mexico, and Guatemala. Adults have been collected on Eupatorium azureum, though the specific food plant remains unknown.
Pentispa sallaei
Pentispa sallaei is a tortoise beetle in the subfamily Cassidinae, tribe Chalepini. The species was originally described from Mexico and has been established in Florida, USA. A host plant was reported for the first time in 2021, though the specific plant identity was not detailed in available sources. The species is characterized by distinctive elytral punctation and thoracic armature.
Physonota alutacea
wild olive tortoise beetle
Physonota alutacea, commonly known as the wild olive tortoise beetle, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It belongs to the tortoise beetle subfamily Cassidinae, characterized by the distinctive domed body shape typical of this group. The species has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning North, Central, and South America. It is associated with wild olive (Cordia boissieri) and related host plants.
Physonota calochroma
Physonota calochroma is a tortoise beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae, originally described by Blake in 1965. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Eurypepla calochroma. As a member of the tortoise beetle subfamily Cassidinae, it possesses the characteristic domed carapace formed by modified elytra and pronotum. Larvae of the genus Physonota construct distinctive fecal umbrellas using exuviae and frass, held aloft by urogomphi structures.
Physonota calochroma floridensis
Physonota calochroma floridensis is a synonymized subspecies of tortoise beetle originally described from Florida. The name was proposed by Blake in 1965 but is currently treated as a synonym of Eurypepla jamaicensis (formerly Physonota calochroma). Tortoise beetles in this group are characterized by their domed, turtle-like carapace formed from modified elytra and pronotum. The species to which this subspecies belongs exhibits rapid color-changing abilities, shifting from silvery-green to brownish tones within seconds in response to environmental stimuli.
Physonota disjuncta
Physonota disjuncta is a tortoise beetle in the subfamily Cassidinae, first recorded in the United States in 2024. This species belongs to the tribe Ischyrosonychini and represents a significant range extension from its previously known distribution in Middle America. The first U.S. record was accompanied by documentation of a host plant association, though specific details remain limited in available sources.
Stenispa collaris
Bicolored Smooth Hispine
Stenispa collaris is a small hispine beetle in the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae. Adults are narrowly elongate and cylindrical with a distinctive color pattern: shining black body, bright red thorax, and cupreo-aeneous (coppery-bronze) elytra. The species occurs across the central and eastern United States, from New York to Texas. Despite being a member of the hispine group—many of which are specialized leaf miners—no host plant has been documented for this species.
Stenopodius martini
Stenopodius martini is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described by Blaisdell in 1939. It belongs to the subfamily Cassidinae, a group commonly known as tortoise beetles or hispine beetles. The species is known from the southwestern United States. Its food plant remains unknown, though adults have been collected on Sphaeralcea species.
Strongylocassis
Strongylocassis is a monotypic genus of tortoise beetles established by Hincks in 1950. The genus contains a single species, Strongylocassis atripes. It belongs to the subfamily Cassidinae within the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae. The genus is rarely encountered, with few documented observations.
Sumitrosis
Sumitrosis is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, containing at least 60 described species. The genus was established by Butte in 1969 and belongs to the subfamily Cassidinae (tortoise beetles and allies) and tribe Chalepini. One species, Sumitrosis rosea, has been documented as a leafminer on soybean crops, indicating potential agricultural significance for certain members of the genus.
Sumitrosis inaequalis
Sumitrosis inaequalis is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae. Adults measure 3.4–4.2 mm and exhibit highly variable coloration, ranging from pale yellow with faint markings to predominantly black with yellow spots. The species is distributed across Central America and much of North America, with records from Canada and the United States. It is a leaf miner, feeding internally on host plant foliage.
Sumitrosis pallescens
Sumitrosis pallescens is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, measuring 3.1-3.5 mm as adults. The species is characterized by pale yellow coloration on the pronotum and elytra, with dark spots near the wing tips. It is known to feed on Chamaecrista species and has a broad distribution across the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Central America.