Specialization
Guides
Chrysobothris purpureovittata cercocarpi
Chrysobothris purpureovittata cercocarpi is a subspecies of jewel beetle described from a population at Cloudcroft, New Mexico, associated exclusively with mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus). It is distinguished from the nominate subspecies by having an entirely red pronotum and uniformly dark elytra. The species belongs to a genus where most members exhibit host specificity, though the nominate subspecies is notably polyphagous. This western population represents a rare case of host specialization within an otherwise generalist species.