unequal tortoise beetle
(Sumitrosis inaequalis)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | NNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Unequal tortoise beetle is a small leaf-mining beetle. It is common in the United States east of the Great Plains. It is uncommon in the West, on the Great Plains, and in Minnesota. Adults are very small, ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3.5 to 4.4 mm) long. The body is elongated and nearly parallel-sided, only slightly widened toward the rear. The coloration is variable. The hardened plate on the upper side of the thorax (pronotum) is wider than long but narrower than the base of the hardened forewings (elytra), brownish-yellow, and dotted with deep pits (punctate). The elytra have are brownish-yellow with several black spots and rows of punctures bordered by distinct ridges. The margins of the elytra are toothed (serrated). The pattern of spots distinguishes this beetle from other species in the same genus. The head is brownish yellow. The eyes are large and black and are not notched. The mouth parts are small. The antennae are black, have eight segments, and are short, less than half as long as the body. The legs are light brownish-black. The last part of each leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, is black and has five segments. The fourth segment is very short and is concealed within the broadened tip of the third segment, making the tarsus appear to have only four segments. The coloration of the head, pronotum, and elytra is variable. The black spots may be small and sharply defined, or large, fuzzy, and merging with adjacent spots. A dark form of this beetle has the colors reversed, with light spots on a dark background. |
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Size |
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Total length: ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Biology |
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Season |
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Behavior |
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The larvae are leaf miners. They feed between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. |
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Life Cycle |
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Larva Food |
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Leaves of various plants in the aster (Asteraceae) family, including: aster (Symphyotrichum) Possibly also plants in the Pea (Fabaceae) family. |
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Adult Food |
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Leaves of various woody and herbaceous plants, including: black locust (Robinia) |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 10/4/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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Order |
Coleoptera (beetles) | ||
Suborder |
Polyphaga (water, rove, scarab, long-horned, leaf, and snout beetles) | ||
Infraorder |
Cucujiformia | ||
Superfamily |
Chrysomeloidea (leaf beetles and allies) | ||
Family |
Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles) | ||
Subfamily |
Cassidinae (tortoise and hispine beetles) | ||
Tribe |
Chalepini | ||
Genus |
Sumitrosis | ||
Synonyms |
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Anoplitis inaequalis Sumitrosis arnetti |
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Common Names |
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unequal tortoise beetle |
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Glossary
Elytra
The hardened or leathery forewings of beetles used to protect the fragile hindwings, which are used for flying. Singular: elytron.
Frons
The upper front part of an insect’s face, roughly corresponding to the forehead.
Pronotum
The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.
Punctate
Dotted with pits (punctures), translucent sunken glands, or colored spots of pigment.
Tarsus
On insects, the last two to five subdivisions of the leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. On spiders, the last segment of the leg. Plural: tarsi.
Visitor Photos |
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Babette Kis |
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Sumitrosis inaequalis |
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Sumitrosis inaequalis, on aster sp,. Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI June 9, 2021. |
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Alfredo Colon |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this insect. |
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| Babette Kis 6/9/2021 |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Sumitrosis inaequalis, on aster sp,. Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI June 9, 2021. |
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| Babette Kis 6/7/2021 |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI |
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| Alfredo Colon 6/8/2018 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created 11/1/2018
Last Updated: