Eumolpinae
Guides
Brachypnoea
Brachypnoea is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, primarily distributed in the Neotropical realm with eight species extending into the Nearctic realm. The genus was established by Gistel in 1848 as a replacement name for the preoccupied Noda (Chevrolat, 1836). Several species have been reclassified to other genera, including Dryadomolpus, Chrysodinopsis, and Spintherophyta. The genus belongs to the tribe Typophorini within the diverse leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae.
Bromius obscurus
Western Grape Rootworm, Brown and Black Beetle
Bromius obscurus is a small leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) and the sole member of its genus. It is a Holarctic species with a notable geographic parthenogenesis pattern: North American populations reproduce sexually while European populations are triploid and reproduce asexually. The species is recognized as a pest of grape vines in Europe and western North America. Adults possess a stridulatory apparatus on the wings, the first documented in the subfamily Eumolpinae.
Colaspidea
Colaspidea is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. The genus exhibits a disjunct distribution, occurring in the Mediterranean region and in western North America (California and the southwestern United States). A notable morphological distinction exists between regional species: North American species possess fully developed wings, while Mediterranean species are wingless. Recent phylogenetic hypotheses suggest that Mediterranean Colaspidea may be sister to Chalcosicya, with Colaspina sister to both combined; North American species may represent a separate genus. The genus currently contains 19 described species.
Colaspis
Colaspis is a large genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, containing over 200 species distributed across North and South America. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, such as the grape colaspis (Colaspis brunnea), which damages crop roots and foliage. Several species have been documented from Eocene fossil deposits in Colorado, USA. Taxonomic history of the genus has been complicated by nomenclatural disputes, particularly regarding the synonymy of Maecolaspis.
Colaspis arizonensis
Colaspis arizonensis is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It was described by American entomologist Charles Frederic August Schaeffer in 1933. The species is known from a limited geographic range in southeastern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Very few observations of this species have been recorded, with only four documented observations in iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.
Colaspis suggona
Colaspis suggona is a leaf beetle species described by Blake in 1977. It belongs to the family Chrysomelidae and is known to occur in North America. Very little specific information is documented about this species, and it appears to be rarely observed or studied.
Demotina
Demotina is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae containing over 50 described species. The genus is native to Asia, Australia, and Oceania, with one adventive species (Demotina modesta) established in the southeastern United States. Some species are known to be parthenogenetic. One species, Demotina fasciculata, has been documented engaging in cecidophagy—feeding on plant galls induced by cynipid wasps.
Glyptoscelis
Glyptoscelis is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, tribe Eumolpini. The genus contains 38 described species distributed across North, Central, and South America. One species, Glyptoscelis squamulata, is a documented agricultural pest of grape vines in southern California. The genus was historically classified in tribe Adoxini but has been reassigned to Eumolpini based on current taxonomy.
Graphops tenuis
Graphops tenuis is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described by Blake in 1955. The genus Graphops belongs to the subfamily Eumolpinae, a group of leaf beetles commonly known as eumolpines or oval leaf beetles. Little specific biological information is documented for this particular species. The genus name has been subject to taxonomic confusion, with some sources historically conflating it with Paragrilus, a genus of jewel beetles (Buprestidae), but these are unrelated taxa in different families.
Metaparia clytroides
Metaparia clytroides is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. The genus Metaparia was established to accommodate species previously placed in Spintherophyta and related genera, with taxonomic revisions moving several Central American species. This species is documented from the south-central United States.
Metaparia opacicollis
Metaparia opacicollis is a small leaf beetle in the subfamily Eumolpinae. The species was originally described as Chrysodina opacicollis by Lefèvre in 1885 and later transferred to the genus Metaparia. It has been recorded from Argentina, specifically in the province of Corrientes. The genus Metaparia contains species formerly classified under Chrysodina and related genera.
Myochrous
Myochrous is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, containing over 50 described species distributed across North, Central, and South America. The generic name derives from Ancient Greek words meaning 'mouse' and 'color'. Several species are agricultural pests, including Myochrous denticollis (southern corn leaf beetle), Myochrous melancholicus (banana pest), and Myochrous armatus (emerging soybean pest in Brazil). The genus was formerly placed in tribe Adoxini but is now classified in Eumolpini.
Neofidia cana
Neofidia cana is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. The genus Neofidia was established relatively recently, with species transferred from related genera based on morphological and phylogenetic studies. This species is part of a group of Neotropical leaf beetles. Records of this species remain sparse, with limited observational data available.
Paria fragariae-complex
Paria fragariae-complex is a species complex of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. Members of this complex are associated with strawberry (Fragaria) and related plants. The complex designation indicates taxonomic uncertainty, with multiple cryptic or poorly differentiated species grouped under this name. These beetles are part of the subfamily Eumolpinae, a group of small to medium-sized leaf beetles often associated with specific host plants.
Rhabdopterus
Rhabdopterus is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, containing approximately 70 described species distributed across North and South America. Eight species occur north of Mexico, though Nearctic species may not be congeneric with the South American type species. The genus belongs to the family Chrysomelidae, a large group of herbivorous beetles commonly known as leaf beetles. Some species, such as Rhabdopterus jansoni, are significant herbivores in agricultural systems, particularly coffee plantations.
Rhabdopterus bottimeri
Rhabdopterus bottimeri is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Eumolpinae. It was described by Barber in 1946 and is native to North and Middle America. The genus Rhabdopterus comprises small to medium-sized leaf beetles, many of which are associated with particular host plants. This species is poorly documented in the scientific literature.
Spintherophyta
Spintherophyta is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. The genus exhibits high diversity in the Neotropics, with approximately 71 species recorded from Central and South America, while only four species occur in North America north of Mexico. Species are typically small, globular beetles, often found feeding on pollen in flowers.
Spintherophyta arizonensis
Spintherophyta arizonensis is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Eumolpinae, described by Schultz in 1976. The genus Spintherophyta is most diverse in the Neotropics, with only four species occurring in North America north of Mexico. This species is one of the North American representatives of a predominantly Neotropical genus of globular, pollen-feeding leaf beetles.
Spintherophyta exigua
A small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described by Schultz in 1976. As a member of the genus Spintherophyta, it belongs to a group with much higher diversity in the Neotropics compared to North America. The species epithet 'exigua' suggests small size, consistent with the genus's characteristic diminutive stature.
Typophorini
Typophorini is a tribe of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, containing approximately 100 genera distributed worldwide. Members are primarily characterized by distinctive notches on the tibiae of the middle and hind legs, often referred to as antenna cleaners. The tribe also exhibits a subglabrous body surface and bifid pretarsal claws. Taxonomic organization follows five informal sections: Callisinites, Metachromites, Nodostomites, Pagriites, and Typophorites.
Typophorus nigritus
Sweet Potato Leaf Beetle
Typophorus nigritus is a leaf beetle in the subfamily Eumolpinae with a broad distribution spanning North, Central, and South America. Two subspecies, T. n. nitidulus and T. n. viridicyaneus, are documented agricultural pests of sweet potatoes. The species comprises 13 recognized subspecies with varying geographic ranges. It is commonly referred to as the Sweet Potato Leaf Beetle in agricultural contexts.
Xanthonia dentata
Xanthonia dentata is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described by Staines and Weisman in 2002. The species is known from the southwestern United States, where it has been collected in association with oak trees. Adults measure 2.8–3.4 mm in length and display distinctive coloration useful for identification.
Xanthonia hirsuta
Small Juniper Xanthonian
Xanthonia hirsuta is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described in 2019. It belongs to the genus Xanthonia, which comprises small, often cryptically colored beetles associated with coniferous vegetation. The species epithet 'hirsuta' refers to the hairy or setose body surface. As a member of the Eumolpinae subfamily, it is likely associated with feeding on gymnosperm foliage, though specific host records remain limited.
Xanthonia parva
Lacey Oak Xanthonia
Xanthonia parva is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, described in 2019 from material collected in Texas. It is one of the smallest species in the genus Xanthonia and is associated with Quercus laceyi (Lacey oak). The species was distinguished from congeners based on morphological characters and represents part of ongoing taxonomic revision of North American Eumolpinae.
Xanthonia texana
Xanthonia texana is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Eumolpinae. It was described in 2019 from Texas, representing a relatively recent addition to the genus Xanthonia. The genus comprises small leaf beetles, many of which are associated with specific host plants. As a recently described species, detailed natural history information remains limited.